Bargain buffet refuses to die while luxury dining takes over Vegas

The days of bargain buffets aimed at drawing in Las Vegas gamblers are dying, but there are a few notable exceptions.

"The buffets get people in," Michael Gaughan, owner of the South Point hotel and casino, told the Wall Street Journal. "They get value for their money, and they stay around and play."

The South Point loses between $1.5 and $2 million a month, according to the publication, but brings in about 3,000 people a day for its buffet.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

The casino's breakfast, with two bloody Marys included, is $16.95 for members. The prime rib and champagne brunch, including two mimosas, starts at $32.95. The prime rib dinner buffet includes peel-and-eat shrimp and costs $37.95, or $32.95 for members.

People start lining up for Friday’s Seafood Night, which begins at 3 p.m., before noon, the Journal reported. It features prime rib and includes two glasses of wine, red sangria or draft beer for $57.95, or $52.95 with a club discount. The lunch buffet is $22.95 for members and $26.95 for nonmembers.

Budget hotel Circus Circus also offers a budget-friendly buffet. It bills its offerings as "classic Las Vegas dining, with something for everyone." The buffet starts at $19.95 and generally operates Friday through Sunday.

The Excalibur Hotel weekday brunch costs $32.99 for adults and $18.99 for children. On Fridays, the price of brunch increases slightly. The mimosa brunch, offered on Saturdays and Sundays, costs $43.99 per adult.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Circus Circus manages to turn a monthly profit of between $50,000 to $80,000 in the summer season through shrewd tactics, including using unordered prime rib from the hotel’s steakhouse in a buffet stew, the Journal revealed.

According to the publication, the famous buffets of Las Vegas fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, its social-distancing requirements and the trend of wealthier visitors seeking higher-end restaurants.

There were more than a dozen traditional Vegas buffets on the Strip in 2020, the Journal reported. Now only four remain.

Unlike many Strip resorts, budget casinos rely heavily on repeat local customers and value-conscious gamblers, making inexpensive buffets an effective way to drive casino traffic.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS

Luxury buffets, meanwhile, are thriving in Las Vegas. Caesars’ Bacchanal buffet ($87 and up) and the Wynn buffet (starting at $80 per person for dinner) often have long wait lines, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Luxury travel expert Whytney Rawls told Fox News Digital the city's economics have fundamentally shifted.

"Gaming was once the dominant revenue driver," Rawls said. "Today, a much larger share comes from premium room rates, luxury dining, nightlife, entertainment, retail and large-scale events."

While the city was once a playground for everyday travelers, many visitors these days are finding the price of admission harder to justify, Fox News Digital previously reported.

The city is leaning harder into luxury hotels, celebrity-chef restaurants, stadium weekends and costly events, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

In 2025, Las Vegas visitation fell to 38.5 million, down 7.5% from 2024, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). In 2024, visitors generated a record $55.1 billion in direct spending.

There is a new demographic. In 2024, 64% of visitors earned $100,000 or more, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

By 2025, the market was even higher: Data showed 44% of visitors earned $150,000 or more, News 3 Las Vegas reported.

Jessica Mekles of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.