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Review content:
We have eaten here probably a dozen times since it opened, but not in the last year or two; we were there at about 5:00 PM on Sunday, December 28, 2008. The first thing I noticed was in the menu; the formerly peeled shrimp had been replaced by the "peel and eat" variety. This has long been my own personal dividing line between a "good" and "not so good" buffet. However, as I have pretty much removed shrimp from my diet, this is not a deal-breaker in itself. But more disappointments awaited. Missing were the ceviche dishes from the seafood section; they were replaced by what appeared to be lunch meat. Also gone was the prosciutto near the grilled meat station. The other items available at that station (formerly beef, chicken, and fish prepared on skewers) now consist of three types of sausage, and steak pieces.
As for the quality of the items served, we noted some problems there as well. From the carving station, the prime rib was still good, but the roast beef and turkey were both somewhat dry. The coq au vin, long a favorite, seemed to consist of wings, necks and bones.
On the plus side, the desserts were still as good as we remember them, and our server (a young man named Roilan, if memory serves) was friendly and attentive, despite an apparent shortage of staff. This shortage was evidenced by the slowness of empty tables being cleared, which is inexcusable with a waiting line nearly an hour long.
To sum up, this buffet, which we once considered on a par with the Bellagio in quality (although not in variety) of the menu, has dropped off of our list of places to recommend. This is a sad example of what happens when cost-cutting decisions are made by an MBA armed with an Excel spreadsheet. There is no cell on the spreadsheet which factors "loss of good will" into the bottom line. If you have $25.00 per person to spend, you can do much better by going a bit East on Flamingo Rd. to, for example, Cozymels. And you probably won't have to wait for an hour.
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