Mandalay Bay Buffet

[AppleGreenJade]

As a "local" I received an offer for 2 free buffets at the MB Buffet, so I decided to try it again last night. (I tried it 4 years ago for lunch and was very disappoiinted. Four years ago, I remember there being a good assortment of interesting dishes, but the meat was very tough and overall, the tastes were disappointing.) Last night's visit was about as disappointing as 4 years ago. Again, great assortment of dishes, and some dishes that you don't find at other buffets. It looked great but that's about it. There were some decent dishes, that being the braised short ribs (very, very tender), good sized shrimps (cocktail), and meaty crab legs. I tried crab stuffed sea bass....very bland, stuffed peppers....edible but could've used a bit more seasoning, also corn on the cob and it was horrible.....you ask how can they mess that up???.....the corn tasted water logged and almost as if it had a slight lemon flavor...not a good combo IMHO. I had steak that was cut up into strips and was cooked medium rare, so I figured it would be pretty tender...WRONG! I had to fight the steak with my knife, and the steak won...I sweated during the battle. I will say though, that there was a good assortment of desserts and different from other buffets. I'm a diabetic and I had a choice of several mousse cakes....passion fruit (really, really good), and chocolate mouse (again...very good) and strawberry mousse (didn't try it). For non diabetics, the dessert bar was something to enjoy as well...great looking cookies and other desserts. The presentation was nice on how they evenly space all the little squares of cakes on marble-like platters. I'm actually surprised they took the time to do that as its something that continually gets replenished. The coffee was also very good. Overall though, for $26.99 pp for the dinner buffet its not worth it. I can't complain since I got it for free; I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it. Another interesting note, and I have not seen it elsewhere.....there are a number of kiosks at the entrance for you to pay for the buffet rather than wait on line for the cashier. It didn't matter to me though as there was absolutely no line and we got there around 7:00 pm. I know that the Mandalay Bay buffet is hardly one of the buffets mentioned as being a "good" one in this forum, just like you hardly hear about Treasure Island either....I guess there is a reason why.

[judyinar]

I'm glad I saw your post today. I'm leaving tonight for a week in Vegas and spending the first several days at Mandalay Bay because of an offer. I've eaten at their buffet once several years ago and wasn't impressed. Some of my companions loved all the meat there, but I'm not a meat lover. I was hoping to hear that it had changed for the better, but it sounds as if it hasn't. Thanks for your post so I won't waste my time and money there...Judy

[AppleGreenJade]

Originally Posted by judyinar I'm glad I saw your post today. I'm leaving tonight for a week in Vegas and spending the first several days at Mandalay Bay because of an offer. I've eaten at their buffet once several years ago and wasn't impressed. Some of my companions loved all the meat there, but I'm not a meat lover. I was hoping to hear that it had changed for the better, but it sounds as if it hasn't. Thanks for your post so I won't waste my time and money there...Judy Hi Judy...glad I posted it in time. Yeah...I waited a few years to see if it's changed and it hadn't. Some of their meat was ok....but as I said in my post, some of it was tough. I didn't try their prime rib, though. Since you're not much of a meat eater, and if it's within your budget, Wynn would be a good alternative. They have very creative salads and their stir fried veggies (Asian counter) is quite fresh. Although I eat meat, I do look forward to their salads and Asian veggies. Doris

[alan4175]

Originally Posted by AppleGreenJade Another interesting note, and I have not seen it elsewhere.....there are a number of kiosks at the entrance for you to pay for the buffet rather than wait on line for the cashier. It didn't matter to me though as there was absolutely no line and we got there around 7:00 pm. Carnival World Buffet at Rio has had similar kiosks for awhile now. If I recall it's for cash or credit card transactions. If you want to do a room charge, you still deal with a live cashier and show your picture ID.

[jrinct1]

Was there years ago and it was good.

[judyinar]

I ate breakfast at the Mandalay Bay buffet a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it. I suppose the dishes I enjoyed so much were the fried ham and the fresh fruit. I had seconds of both. I also liked their desserts, but then I like nearly all desserts I was using some great comps on food or I probably wouldn't have eaten there and I still don't especially want to return. My friends who have been wanting to eat there again are going with me to LV in a couple of weeks, and I know they'll want to eat there. I don't think I'll bother... And, yes, I LOVE the Wynn buffet (including its crab legs). In fact, we'll be going there the first day we're in Vegas. We'll be staying at Paris, and I'm looking forward to enjoying the crepes there. Yummy. judy