The Most Unique Buffet On The Vegas Strip

Las Vegas has been a diversion destination for decades. First occupied by Native Americans and later, Mormon settlers, it was with the advent of the railroad in 1905 that Vegas became a bustling city that spread like wildfire and never looked back (per Culture Trip). It's basically an oasis of amusement in the middle of the Nevada desert. If your vice is gambling, you've got the casinos; if you're captivated by entertainment, it's got famous shows, plus luxurious hospitality offerings to keep you comfortable in between adventures.

Another thing Vegas has in spades is food — and a lot of it, especially in its buffets. While once satirized in movies such as 1997's "Vegas Vacation," with its comically colorful fare and Cousin Eddie's line, "I'll have some of that there yella ... and don't you get cheap on me, ya hear?" (via Movie Quotes), the city's buffets offer some of the best eats to keep you fueled while you explore the Strip. 

But one buffet in particular is doing a "wicked" job of setting the stage for how eclectic and unique a Vegas strip buffet experience can be.

Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas reopened in 2021, following a pandemic closure. The restaurant takes Cousin Eddie's experience and turn it on its head, serving upscale eatery food with fine dining-style plating — no "food troughs" here (per Las Vegas Then and Now). 

Alongside crowd-pleasers including biscuits and gravy, snow crab legs, and sushi, this gastronomical wonderland serves up chef-worthy dishes, such as squid ink pasta and truffle mac and cheese. Wicked Spoon also offers made-to-order omelets, smoked salmon and charcuterie stations, a shoyu ramen bar, a loaded mashed potato bar, and butchers who serve up decadent bone marrow and short rib along with classic prime rib, signature fried chicken, and more, according to its official menu.

Wicked Spoon is also known for its decadent dessert selection, according to Las Vegas Then and Now. Per the restaurant's website: Monday-Friday, adults pay $38 for breakfast, $45 for lunch — and on Saturday and Sunday, enjoy $49 brunch — and don't forget to wash it all down with bottomless beverages at an added $24 per adult. There's even an option for endless craft cocktails. If you want to stuff your face with the best buffet food Vegas has to offer (as praised by Nevada Public Radio and others), with the comfortable atmosphere and refined menu of a fancy restaurant, Wicked Spoon awaits you.

Vegas buffets offer all-you-can-eat essentials, including steak, seafood, Tex-Mex, and pretty much anything else your heart (er, stomach) desires. But times are changing, and buffets continue to expand their offerings to accommodate our appetites. Take the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, for example — which got a $2.4 million facelift, according to Casino.org.

Other worthy contenders on the must-try list include the buffet at the iconic pyramid-shaped Luxor, featuring a kid-friendly homemade pizza station and sugar-free dessert options (per Eater). You can eat like a king at the Buffet at Excalibur — a resort shaped like a castle — with its veritable feast including very medieval portions of rotisserie chicken and delights from all corners of the globe. Whether you want pizza at the Bellagio or live-action dinner cooked for you at Wynn, Vegas's buffets are designed for the culinary explorer. 

Come hungry and with a willingness to try new things — all the things — and you bet you'll leave with a full belly and a wallet still full enough to explore some of the city's other indulgences.