4.26.16- Mirage Cravings Buffet, Fat Tuesdays, Lobster Me, Aria Buffet.
We started the day by walking to Mirage to get breakfast at their buffet.
Wait...another buffet already?
Full disclosure-- before you guys think we pig out at buffets-- we actually share the plates of food.
I don't eat much so I only taste a tiny bit of everything. I guess that kind of defeats the purpose of
all-you-can-eat though; as essentially we are really eating for one, lol.
Wait...another buffet already?
Full disclosure-- before you guys think we pig out at buffets-- we actually share the plates of food.
I don't eat much so I only taste a tiny bit of everything. I guess that kind of defeats the purpose of
all-you-can-eat though; as essentially we are really eating for one, lol.
Is it really the ultimate dining experience?
I guess we'll have to find out...
| Since we had the MyVegas BOGO for the Cravings Buffet (valid Mondays-Thursdays; 7a-3p; blackout dates may apply), we headed to the Mlife desk to get it loaded to our player's cards. I was told that they can only load buffet awards for their own hotels only (on previous trip, I was able to go to Bellagio to pick up KA Cirque Du Soleil tickets for MGM). Off to the buffet! There was no line so we quickly paid and got seated.  Hey where's everybody? |
Sushi (Spicy Scallop Roll)-- not bad, Plantains-- good, Chicken Vino Bianco (Chicken with White Wine + Cream sauce)-- it looks pretty ;).
Jumbo Shrimp
I thought I knew the definition of JUMBO...
not entirely sure this is it though.
BUT...big points for Kikkoman Soy Sauce (since it's my favorite)!
Most Hawaii resident's would say "Shoyu."
It's ok, our server didn't know what Shoyu was when we asked either.
I noticed most places generally only have Aloha Soy Sauce.
I use both often, but for different reasons.
Oh wait, you're not here to listen to me talk about Soy Sauce. ;)
I eat Sushi for breakfast...apparently.
Only in Vegas...or in Japan.
A mixed bag + Wine for breakfast. Because, why not? The Seafood bun (with shrimp) was pretty good.
In their Chinese section, they had a few Vegetarian options too (fried rice + noodles).
Of course I needed my morning wine too while I'm at it.
How can I resist, its free!
My friend was my drink runner today since they were already heading to the bar.
I wanted a Chardonnay, but the bartender gave a Cabernet.
Ok, they both start with a C...close enough.
I'll drink it
(see, I'm easy to please).
At the bar, these were the free beers you can get:
Miller Lite, Guinness, Angry Orchard (I think certain ones might be seasonal).
I don't typically do selfies, but here's one (kind of), at my favorite station:
The way to my heart. Granted not any wine of course.
The Pizzas + Pasta were pretty good.
The Omelet Incident.
When my friend came back with their food, I sat through his complaint about the Omelet station--
which left him with a negative impression.
While in line, he saw the chef steaming the cheese for other people's Omelet .
Finally it was his turn, the chef didn't do the same thing-- just plopped on the cheese, flipped it and put it on his plate.
Of course, the first thought that jumped in my head was, "did you tip the chef?"
He was about to tip, but after what happened he decided to give the tip to the bartender instead.
He did say that while in line, he noticed that many people ahead of him didn't tip either...
What can I say?
I didn't get an Omelet.
which left him with a negative impression.
While in line, he saw the chef steaming the cheese for other people's Omelet .
Finally it was his turn, the chef didn't do the same thing-- just plopped on the cheese, flipped it and put it on his plate.
Of course, the first thought that jumped in my head was, "did you tip the chef?"
He was about to tip, but after what happened he decided to give the tip to the bartender instead.
He did say that while in line, he noticed that many people ahead of him didn't tip either...
What can I say?
I didn't get an Omelet.
Let's check out the desserts!
Double Citrus Delight + Berry Cobbler.
Self-serve yogurt station, and a random stranger in the picture.
More desserts.
The Boston Crème Donut was good while the Chocolate Croissant was just ok;
the crust was a bit soggy.
The stand out was their Tiramisu.
It was light & fluffy, with good textural contrast. It was also gluten-free
(not that it matters to me anyway, but we know people who care).
The rest of the desserts were just ok.
Fancy touch-screen soft drinks dispenser!
| [PROS]
| [CONS]
|
[NOTE]: We didn't see any crabs at the seafood station in the morning.
Overall, I would recommend Cravings, but only if you are already in the building.
Though it didn't live up to their tagline of being "the ultimate buffet."
To be honest, I didn't expect too much from this buffet to begin with because of all the mixed reviews online,
but wanted to give it a try.
My friend's take-away from this buffet was "You get what you pay for."
It's still a good value for lots of choices of food and free wine + beer,
but I would not go out of my way to come here.
For a few dollars more, you can go to the Aria Buffet or Wynn Buffet for lunch/ brunch
(Aria: $21.99-$31.99; Wynn: $24.99-$35.99).
Though it didn't live up to their tagline of being "the ultimate buffet."
To be honest, I didn't expect too much from this buffet to begin with because of all the mixed reviews online,
but wanted to give it a try.
My friend's take-away from this buffet was "You get what you pay for."
It's still a good value for lots of choices of food and free wine + beer,
but I would not go out of my way to come here.
For a few dollars more, you can go to the Aria Buffet or Wynn Buffet for lunch/ brunch
(Aria: $21.99-$31.99; Wynn: $24.99-$35.99).
| Cravings Buffet @ The Mirage Resort & Casino 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.791.7111 | Walk-in only. | $18.99-$30.99 Mon-Fri: 7a-9p Sat-Sun: 8a-9p MyVegas BOGOs/ Free Buffets: (Valid: Mon-Thurs). Cravings Buffet Website |
If you don't have time to eat at the buffet, you can get a TO-GO box.
A bit of slots
After eating, we decided to walk back towards Planet Hollywood.
Though not before making a small donation to Mirage's slots.
In my case, towards the Megabucks pot.
I don't know why, but I can never seem to win anything here regardless of what I play.
We then wandered over to the Palazzo to play a bit.
My friend went to the sportsbook to put in a bet (for his friend & himself).
Meanwhile, I played the newer Monopoly slot (on minimum), and finally got the train bonus that my friend had been telling me about on previous trips (~$18).
Man, it only happens when I'm not playing on max bet.
I also played Megabucks really quick.
I had wanted to play the Don Quixote--Knights of LaMancha but the machines were occupied at Venetian (there used to be a few at Palazzo but I didn't notice them today).
My friend found an empty seat at the electronic Craps Table and decided to give it a go.
I was surprised how long he lasted (~40 mins).
While he was playing, I spotted a $0.25 Wheel of Fortune
which I got a small hit on immediately.
My friend found an empty seat at the electronic Craps Table and decided to give it a go.
I was surprised how long he lasted (~40 mins).
While he was playing, I spotted a $0.25 Wheel of Fortune
which I got a small hit on immediately.
That's it, cash out time!
I walked back to find my friend still on the Craps machine.
I was a bit tired so decided to stay and watch.
There was one player that was really good at rolling and everyone else seemed to be doing really well from his rolls.
My friend finally decides to walk away-- up from his initial investment
(I have no idea how much it was).
Once that was done, we continued walking past Casino Royale.
I walked back to find my friend still on the Craps machine.
I was a bit tired so decided to stay and watch.
There was one player that was really good at rolling and everyone else seemed to be doing really well from his rolls.
My friend finally decides to walk away-- up from his initial investment
(I have no idea how much it was).
Once that was done, we continued walking past Casino Royale.
|
| We were just casino hopping at this point. While we walked through the Linq, this happened while I slipped away to the player's club (I took advantage of the empty line):  My friend only put in $2, and got it on the 2nd spin. (This isn't the biggest win he's had on this machine, but pretty good ROI ($1 for $50). , After, I couldn't help but stop into the Cromwell. I like this casino a lot because its easier to not get lost here as the footprint is much smaller compared to other mega resorts. I always play their Emerald Sevens Megabucks here. This is an older photo from Paris (Jan 2015). I don't see their Megabuck's machine in Paris anymore. Just to illustrate which game I'm talking about:  I lost this trip so there's no new photo. I guess I was being a bit stubborn as I was actually up ($60+), but decided to keep playing. I hit the Mini Bucks several times and that helped to keep the game going. After~ 20 mins (I timed it), I ended up with $1.72 left. On the bright side, I accumulated some points on my Total Rewards card, haha. Feeling a bit down at this point, I jumped over to the Pinball machines and Top Dollar nearby. I tried out a whole bunch of other things too, but luck was just not there. We saw a couple winning on a penny machine as soon as we walked into the Casino, then later saw an older gentlemen hit $300 on Wheel of Fortune on my walk back. So apparently, it's just me that's unlucky. When I went to meet up with my friend, he was playing at yet another electronic craps machine which quickly ate up his Benjamin. |
Random Observation:
I didn't realized until this trip that many Las Vegas restaurants cater to those with Gluten allergies.
| Time to really return to the hotel to rest a bit. Since we walked through the Miracle Miles Shops, lets grab a snack. When we go to Las Vegas, generally you won't find us at the food court because my friend refuses to step foot inside. Up until recent trips, he had been against the idea of food courts on vacation. You're probably thinking-- "what snobs?" (I don't blame you). For the record, we enjoy food courts, but we feel if it's something we can get at home, it doesn't make sense for us to eat it on vacation too. That's all. So we went to Lobster Me (hey, it's next to another Fat Tuesdays). As a foodie wannabe-- I needed to know what all the raves were about. It took a while to get our food after ordering (~10-15 mins), so I found a sitting spot while my friend waited for the order. After it was ready, we took it up to the room to eat. |
Lobster Me
Looks yummy right?
I had the Lobsicle ($14), while my friend had the Cajun Roll ($19).
Both dishes were seasoned really well, and the meat was succulent.
Taste-wise it was pretty good
(but not the best Lobster I've ever had).
BUT...we're a bit undecided.
Was it worth $35.69 (with tax)?
Technically, we could have gone to Mon Ami Gabi for the same price and get a simple sit down meal with service (minus alcohol or Steak).
We found the portion sizes to be a bit small (my Lobster tail looked like it was ~3 oz.)
For fast food, it's not exactly fast or cheap.
I'm glad we finally got to try it (there's another branch inside Venetian; Grand Canal Shoppes).
If you don't mind the smaller portions, I would recommend it.
You can get a free order of fries if you decide to go. But of course you have to be on their mailing list.
| We watched a bit of TV while we ate our snack. When it was time, we walked to Aria to meet up with my friend's brother and Wife. We visited the Aria Buffet on the last trip for brunch, so wanted to see how their dinner compared. We each had another MyVegas BOGO, so for the 4 of us, we only paid for 2. Even if it was full price, we still think this buffet is worth it! There was no line to get in (it was past 8p now)...and the best part was they didn't put me to work this time, haha! We had a really friendly server (Luis) that was very attentive and kind. Everyone seemed to enjoyed the food overall. My recommendation and Pros/ Cons hasn't changed from the last trip (November 2015), so without further ado, I'll let the food do most of the talking:  A round of ice teas for everyone! Missing one...which was an Arnold Palmer (Ice tea + Lemonade).  The current drinks menu (it changed slightly from 5 months ago with a slight price increase).
|
Some of what we actually ate:
The fish tacos were delicious. Then again, I think everything tasted great.
| Since the buffet had both hot + cold snow crab legs, of course we had to grab some more! |
A few of the desserts.
Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Sugar-Free Coconut Pie.
Gelato + Sorbet. There was 1 out of 2 Sugar-Free Sorbet.
Sugar-free Chocolate Pudding, Carrot Cake, White Chocolate Mousse Cake Pop.
More desserts. Coconut Macaroon, Banana Foster, some kind of Cupcake (with gummy bear), and I'm guessing it was a Chocolate Macaroon.
| There were more desserts than what I have here. (Such as Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookie, etc.) Once everyone was done eating, my friend's brother took us to his newly built house. He gave us a tour and we got to play with their kids (3 Corgis; 2 cat). For refreshments we had a non-alcoholic beer. Very interesting, but takes some getting used to.  I thought "non-alcoholic" meant zero alcohol content...no? Before bidding us farewell, he gave us a bunch of goodies to take home, then drove us back to PH to drop off our things. Tomorrow is our last 1/2 day in Vegas, yet, we haven't visited the Bellagio Conservatory this trip (and it was under construction the last time we came). It is now past mid-night, so off to the Bellagio we went. To be continued (Part 2)... |
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