Vegas Buffet - Wynn or Bellagio?

Many people seem to write reviews based on whether a restaurant serves their favorite foods, rather than on the quality of what is served. I am a foodie. I love all kinds of food and revel in the ingredients, preparation and attention to detail. My husband and I normally enjoy a variety of ethnic cuisine as well as fine dining, but when you come to Las Vegas, you have to indulge in at least one dinner buffet. The Wynn is THE one. Of course, if you are trying to save money, you probably should not read any further. The dinner buffet here will set you back $38.95 per adult on a weekend night (January 2010), but it is well worth the price.

We have been coming to Las Vegas each year for 15 years to attend a trade show in January. There is no comparison. The Wynn blows every buffet we've been to out of the water (we've eaten the dinner buffet at: Bellagio, Rio, Mirage, Paris, Desert Inn and Excalibur). Their ingredients are excellent and, for a buffet, we marveled over their menu choices and preparation. The lamb chops were cooked to perfection, rare prime rib was available, and all food was fresh and appetizing. Rather than put out large amounts of food that loses its luster sitting on a steam table, the Wynn's setup is with smaller serving dishes that they refill more frequently. Dining is more intimate and not so much like a banquet hall. If you were fans of the Bellagio buffet as we used to be, it has definitely gone a little downhill with service as well as food preparation. The Wynn is the new king of the hill!

DINNER: Some items that we really enjoyed for dinner were the shrimp tempura sushi, crab legs (neatly sectioned rather than dumped in an unmanageable pile), lamb chops and rack of lamb, pumpkin ravioli, gnocchi, rare prime rib, roasted garlic cloves, Thai chicken lettuce wraps (these were particularly tasty with all sorts of herbs inside), small cups of single serving gourmet salads, flank steak and large peel and eat shrimp.

Unlike our experience with other buffets, there was almost nothing that I would say wasn't worth trying with the exception of the pizza. The pizza looked like it was an offering just for the kids, as it should be. Pizza (pasta and bread too) is purposely served at buffets to fill you up cheaply and we almost always avoid it for this reason. There is too much good pizza elsewhere to eat it at a fancy buffet.

DESSERT: While we were stuffed to the gills, we didn't let it stop us from sampling their desserts. The cookies were all excellent, and I particularly enjoyed their sugar cookie. They had a made to order crêpe station, a hard ice cream with toppings section and little tiny cups of puddings, mousses, etc. that were perfect sample size for our full stomachs. The Wynn desserts were not only all tasty, but all the perfect size. One thing that really bothers us at a buffet is the wastefulness of plating full-sized desserts when the majority of diners prefer a tiny sample of a variety of desserts. They definitely achieved perfection with their dessert sizes.

FINAL WORDS: If you truly enjoy a variety of food and want to try a buffet, head to the Wynn.

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The Buffet At Wynn Las Vegas
3131 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109

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