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COURTESY PHOTOGRAPHY Feast Mode: On From sky-high seafood towers to endless stations, the Vegas buffet makes a deliciously over-the-top return I recently flew to the desert to taste test a staple of Las Vegas culinary culture. At one point it was feared we'd forever lost this tradition, but I'm happy to report that buffets are back! In 2020, buffets were shuttered by the pandemic. When it was relatively safe, a few casino-resorts reopened their buffets — not as self-serve, but as all-you-can-eat restaurants where waiters brought the food. e concept proved to be unpopular. While there were roughly 40 buffets operating in Las Vegas before the shutdown, as of early 2026, about a dozen high- end buffets have pulled off comebacks. I made reservations at A.Y.C.E. Buffet at Palms Casino Resort, e Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas, and Genting Palace at Resorts World Las Vegas. Let the grazing begin. First, I booked three nights in a sleek, spacious Fantasy Executive Suite at Palms. It's the only Las Vegas casino property fully owned-and-operated by a Native American tribe, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. e pool area today has separate swimming areas for children and adults. If you're in the mood for a cabana, ask for one of the 39 elevated private retreats. ese cabanas come with their own mini pools, with a glass wall facing the world below. Cool off in your watery sanctuary and gaze out over the crowd. My first buffet was at A.Y.C.E. (All You Can Eat — you knew that, right?). e decor is upbeat and fun. Wednesday and ursday nights are lobster dinner specials. e buffet definitely does volume. On those two nights combined, A.Y.C.E. serves 7,090 pounds of lobster, 7,740 pounds of lobster tails, and 32,480 pounds of snow crab legs. Each night, one lucky patron is picked to receive a five-pound lobster. I was the diner selected to receive the ginormous lobster platter, accompanied by a mountain of snow crab and an assortment of fruit. Now, a five-pound lobster can throw even the most skilled buffet diner off their game. I ate the enormous tail and two claws, each being about the size of my hand. I also cracked my way through the crab legs. When I finally had time to scope out the rest of the buffet, there was only room left in my belly for BY RON DONOHO detour destinations ranchandcoast.com 66 MAY 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE