Buffets in Las Vegas
Tip #2: Everyone in Las Vegas walks around in blue jeans. It isn't necessary to bring lots of clothes unless you want to get dressed up.
We headed to the Rio Hotel for their Carnival Buffet given raves by all we know, and hyped as Las Vegas' best buffet. In the 29 years of visiting Las Vegas, we've always avoided buffets because:
a. Hate to wait in line.
b. Like to sit at a table and be served.
c. Buffets had a reputation for inferior food.
Perhaps that was true at one time but not now! How wrong could two people be... Every hotel has daily buffets for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. The Rio Carnival Lunch Buffet is served from 11:00am to 3:30pm, $15.99 and we had a $5 off per person coupon. The Dinner Buffet runs from 3:30-10:00pm and no one is going to think twice if you want to sit and eat from 11:00am to 10:00pm.
The Rio Hotel had perhaps 12 different food stations...View image. Without exaggeration, this is what I ate: wonderful, tender roast beef, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables; from the fish section - fried shrimp, calamari, clam strips and onion rings; sushi station - California rolls, tuna rolls, shrimp rolls (with some of the strongest wasabi I've ever had...shooting pains up the sinus cavities...thought my head was going to implode); Mexican station - tacos, with deliciously seasoned ground beef, guacamole, cheese, salsa; Chinese station - barbequed pork and egg rolls. Untouched were the salads, pasta, more Chinese food, more Mexican food, Japanese tepanaki made to order, different pizzas and much more! A bottle of wine was $10.00 (a glass would have been $5.00) and don't forget dessert - we certainly didn't since there was a selection of 70 different desserts! ...View image...
Can you believe I managed to pack in some Bananas Foster, crepes and fruit? ex-Marine finished with gelato and chocolate eclairs. Just call us two hogs.
Not only was everything very, very yummy but it was impressive that Torrie Blanchard, Culinary Ambassador, made her way around this huge restaurant, stopping at every table to inquire if there were any comments both good and negative. We spent some time talking to Torrie who has been at the Rio for 14 years. The Rio is obviously doing something right in our opinion with its great food and taking the time to get input from its customers.
Tip #3: There is free shuttle service between Rio, Harrah's, Paris and Caesars every half-hour.
In a big food stupor, we waddled back to the Monte Carlo enjoying all the neon lights, and went to sleep.
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