Eating in Las Vegas is a great experience. Not only is the food of excellent quality but you can feed yourself for a very reasonable price, especially, if you eat at one of the many buffets in the casinos.

We have eaten at quite a few buffets in Las Vegas and found that even the cheapest of them provide delicious food. The difference between the more expensive buffets and the cheaper ones seems to relate more to the amount of choice rather than in the quality of the dishes.

Here are some of the buffets we ate at and our views on each.

1. Sahara Hotel & Casino
Breakfast: Mon-Fri – 7-10.30am – $9.99
Lunch: Mon-Fri – 10.30am-4pm – $12.99
Dinner: Mon-Sun – 4-10pm – $12.99
Champagne Brunch: Sat & Sun – 7am-4pm – $13.99

We had dinner at the Sahara buffet. The cost was $12.99 but we noticed a sign that mentioned dinner for $6.99 for Club Sahara members so we went and joined. Membership is free and provides lots of other bonuses and even though we are from Australia we were still able to join.

So with our new membership card in hand we headed up to the Sahara Buffet.

It was still only about 5.30pm when we got to the dining room entrance but even so there was already a queue of about 30 people in front of us. The queue moved quite quickly and it didn’t take too long before we were in our seats. We did notice on our way out that the queue was quite a bit longer so it looks as though this is a popular buffet.

Unlike most of the buffets we have been to where we were directed to a specific table, with this one we were told to find any available table and we were given a card to place on our table with the word ‘Reserved’ on it so we could both leave the table  at the same time without the problem of someone else taking our seats while we were gone.

Some of the dishes at the Sahara included fried chicken, a range of pastas and pizzas, rice and noodle dishes, fish, soups and sliced roast meats. There are also a number of different salads and fruits.

I had crumbed shrimp, chicken breast, a fish dish of some sort, carrots, peas and corn, mashed potatoes and a bowl of wonton soup. I also managed to fit in a slice of pepperoni pizza.

By this time I was already way too full but as we all know, there is always room for dessert, so off I went to see what was available.

The range was quite nice with delicate little desserts which looked just the right size after having just stuffed myself silly.

I chose a mini cheesecake topped with red jelly and fresh cream and an apple turnover. I should have stopped at the cheesecake but the apple turnover looked too good to resist.

The cheesecake was delicious but by the time that was finished there was definitely no room left for anything else.

Drinks are provided free with the cost of the buffet and include sodas, iced tea, hot tea and coffee.

The range is not as extensive as some of the other buffets we have been to. It looked big at first glance but when I scanned the dishes they had put the same dishes in different locations around the room. Even so, this is a buffet we would go back to at the $6.99 rate. If we had to pay the non-member rate of $12.99 we would probably give it a miss.

2. Luxor – More The Buffet
Breakfast: Mon-Fri – 7-11am – $11.99
Lunch: Mon-Fri – 11.00am-3pm – $19.99
Dinner: Mon-Fri – 3-10pm $19.99
Sat & Sun Champagne Brunch: 7am-3pm – $17.99

The Luxor was the first buffet we ate at. We had been silly enough to take the long walk from Caesar’s Palace to Excalibur where we relented and caught the monorail to Mandalay Bay and transferred to another monorail to get back to the Luxor. We wanted to take in the experience of the Egyptian theme and after becoming totally exhausted and hungry we went to the buffet for dinner.

We were really impressed with the price. You can’t find a good buffet this cheap in Australia.

The range of food is excellent with prawns, mussels, fish, an assortment of fish, pasta dishes. Drinks are included in the cost.

3. Gold Coast Hotel & Casino – Ports o’ Call Buffet

Breakfast – Min-Fri – 7-10am – $6.95
Lunch – Mon-Fri – 11am-3pm – $8.45
Dinner – Sat-Thu – 4-9pm – $12.95
Seafood Buffet – Fri – $17.95
Brunch – Sat-Sun – 8am-3pm – $12.95

For the majority of our time in Las Vegas we stayed at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino so we had a number of meals at the Ports o’ Call buffet during that time.

The dinner buffet is one of the cheaper buffets in Las Vegas at only $12.95 for members and $14.95 for non-members.

The range of food at dinner is quite extensive with fresh shrimp, sushi, roast meats, soups, pastas, pizza, chicken dishes, rice, noodles, fried chicken, vegetables and salads. There are also have a nice range of Mexican and Chinese dishes.

There are also plenty of desserts to choose from including pies, cheesecake, cream puffs, cookies, cake, eclairs, donuts and much more. And if sweets aren’t to your liking then you can select from the range of sliced or whole fruits.

The lunch menu was very similar with only minor variations.

We enjoyed eating at this buffet. The food was delicious, fresh and well presented and we went back numerous times and not just because we were staying in the hotel.

During our stay at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casinowe ate at the Plaza Hotel and Casino’s buffet on numerous occasions for both breakfast and dinner. The buffet is well known in downtown Las Vegas as it is one of the cheapest buffets available and people from many different hotels come here to eat for this reason.

Whether you are having breakfast, lunch or dinner at the buffet it is always the same price at only $7.77.

We decided to give it a go after heading to the Golden Nugget buffet and finding that because it was a Saturday we could only partake of the Champagne Buffet Breakfast which was $17.99 each. We really didn’t want to pay that much for breakfast so off to the Plaza Hotel we went.

The Plaza doesn’t have a breakfast buffet as such but instead there is a Brunch Buffet which encompasses both breakfast and lunch and runs from 6am to 4pm. I loved this as it meant I could sleep in and didn’t have to rush down to get breakfast.

Because this is a popular buffet each time we visited we had to queue to get in. Even so, we never had to wait more than 10 minutes but usually it was less than 5mins.  As you would expect, the weekend was busier than weekdays so keep this in mind.

Once seated we immediately wandered up to the buffet to see what was available. I noticed that the selection wasn’t as extensive as some of the other buffets we have been to, but the quality of the food  provided was excellent.

In the main meal service area for the brunch there are a range of breakfast items including scrambled eggs, omelette’s, fried potatoes, bacon, sausage patties, cereals, fruit, fried chicken, sliced meats, roasts and salads. There is a smaller meal service area where the buffet consists of mainly Asian style meals and desserts. So make sure you check out both areas because when we went there on the first night we did’nt realise that there was another buffet area around the corner.

Drinks are free (as long as they aren’t alcoholic) and are provided by waiters who will top your glass up as often as you like.  We both had orange juice and a cup of green tea with breakfast.

We found the breakfast foods to be just delicious. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the fried potatoes and sausage patties were very tasty. I loved those fried potatoes and went back for more.

For dinner the menu changes to include lasagna, pasta, fried chicken, roasts, baked ham, salads, mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, corn, lemon chicken, Chinese noodles, soups, spring rolls, sweet and sour pork and more.

Again, the variety of foods at the dinner buffet is not as extensive as you might find at some of the other buffets in Las Vegas but everything is tasty, well presented and the quality of the food is excellent. We absolutely loved the fried chicken and always had a piece at each meal.

The desserts included chocolate pie, apple pie, coconut cream pie, cheese cake and sugar free desserts. There were also cookies and fresh fruit. We did find that the desserts weren’t always replenished and at one point we had to ask for a particular pie from the chef as there was only apple pie and some cookies left to choose from.

Overall this buffet is great value for money. So if you are on a budget but  still want a great tasting inexpensive meal then this is definitely the place to go when you are in Downtown Las Vegas.

There is a great little cafe in Tusayan called, funnily enough the Tusayan Café. It is found two miles south of the entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park on Highway 64.

The service is very good and the staff are pleasant, helpful and friendly.

This is a typical roadside café with paper napkins and placemats. It is clean and presentable with paintings of the Grand Canyon on the walls.

The food at the Tusayan Café is well presented and delicious. We had missed breakfast at the hotel so stopped by before heading into the Grand Canyon National Park and we both had the 2 egg breakfast which came with a choice of bacon, sausages or patties. We both chose the poached eggs with bacon. We were given a choice of different bread types. In America we have found that there are so many choices when it comes to food.

Paula had hot chocolate and I had an absolutely delicious chocolate milkshake.

We also decided that as we had enjoyed our lunch so much we returned to have dinner. Paula had barbequed chicken with fries and vegetables. This came with a green salad with ranchhouse dressing. Paula found the chicken a little overcooked and was expecting it to be a little more flavorsome.

I had Beef Stroganoff with pasta and steamed vegetables. The meal was supposed to come with a cup of soup of the day, but this somehow got missed. Not that I minded as my main meal was too large for me to finish. The Stroganoff was absolutely delicious and after trying a bit of it Paula wished she had ordered it too.

We dealt with a number of different staff during our two visits and they were all attentive and friendly.

If you are on your way up to the Canyon and are looking for somewhere to eat before hitting the park then we would recommend this as a nice little eating place.

During our stay at the Grand Canyon we ate at both the the El Tovar Restaurant and the Arizona Room at the Bright Angel Restaurant.

The El Tovar restaurant is apparently world renowed although after eating breakfast here I am sure it is not because of the quality of its food. Maybe lunch and dinner are better but our breakfast was just plain terrible. It is the first bad meal we have had during our trip to the US so far.

We both ordered the two egg breakfast with bacon and fried potatoes which came with a strawberry on the side.

The food was reasonably presented but when we started to eat we realised just how bad it all was. Normally at least something in a meal will be okay but with this meal everything tasted terrible. For me to say this, means that it must be bad as anyone who knows me knows that I am not fussy with my food and will eat practically anything.

The poached eggs were overcooked to the point of being hard boiled. The bacon was chewy and tough and difficult to cut. And the potatoes were soft and greasy and dried in the middle. The whole meal looked and tasted like it had been sitting for quite a while and was haphazardly reheated to serve up to us.

We did arrive about 20 minutes before closing time for breakfast so perhaps the chef was closing up the kitchen. You may find a better breakfast served up to you if you go earlier. But even so, if they are going to advertise breakfast to 11am then then they should continue to provide a quality breakfast right up until closing time.

About the only good thing about this restaurant was the view from our table which was on the Canyon side and provided some spectacular views.

Also the waitress who served us was pleasant and helpful.

Our other two meals at the Canyon were in the Arizona Room at the Bright Angel Lodge.

For lunch we both had the half sandwich meal which included a pickle, fries and soup of the day. The soup was smoked corn chowder and was absolutely delicious and very warming as it was freezing outside.

The sandwich was okay but I wouldn’t say it was great – the bread roll was tough and it was difficult to eat as half the contents of the sandwich would spill out with each bite. Wanda had the vegetarian sandwich and I had the chicken salad sandwich but neither were particularly tasty…just okay.

The fries were really nice and so was the pickle on the side. Pickles are something that are served up with a lot of meals in the US and I love the idea.

Wanda also ordered a chocolate milkshake and I ordered a hot chocolate. They were both delicious.

For dinner at Bright Angel we ordered food to share. As we weren’t terribly hungry we thought we might order two appetizers instead of a main meal.. We ordered a dozen oysters and a quesidilla which doesn’t sound like much but the meals were huge and we couldn’t eat it all.

Having said that however, we did order a dessert to share which was Blueberry and Peach Strudel which came ala mode (which means it is served with ice cream). This was delicious.

In all, the meal was quite tasty and well presented but nothing to write home about.

Our waitress, Mary, on the other hand deserves a special note. She provided excellent service and was very helpful and chatty and showed genuine interest.