The Buffet at Stratosphere

The healthy choices, omelet stand, and quality service are the areas where the Buffet at Stratosphere Hotel excels. Mix these with the price of $14.25 for brunch and the Stratosphere’s Buffet is something to seriously consider while searching for a place to dine in the morning.

Located at the north end of the Las Vegas strip, The Stratosphere is a tower, hotel, and casino all in one. Being the highest structure in Las Vegas, The Stratosphere is the tallest observation tower and the 9th-tallest freestanding structure in the United States. Guests can go up to see the Las Vegas strip light up the night sky from 1,149 ft. above the ground.

On the casino’s floor, signs point my guest and me in the right direction to the Buffet. It is located near the entrance of the hotel, which makes it easy for diners if they enter from the front. The trek from the parking garage is not a bad one thanks to the signs pointing in the buffet’s direction. We arrive in due time with no problems.

The Buffet is open for breakfast, Champagne brunch, lunch, and dinner. We decided last night to go to the breakfast portion to beat the lines. It works out in our favor, for there is no wait at the cash register. My guest and I are seated in a timely fashion without any hesitation from the host.

The buffet costs us $14.99 each, a cheap price for weekday brunch buffets in Las Vegas. Brunch is served Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. and Friday from 7:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. Dinner at The Buffet is $19.99 per person, and service is daily from 4:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m. The Champagne brunch, which is offered on Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. is also $19.99 per person. Brunch includes unlimited Champagne, which is a steal compared to other buffet brunches on the strip. A discount price, in addition, is available for guests that have an AcePlay card with The Stratosphere. Diners can save ten percent per person seven days a week, a great deal for players on a budget.

Right after we are seated, our server greets us and takes our drink orders. The Buffet offers the usual breakfast beverages: juice, coffee, and teas. Fountain drinks, in addition, are available for diners that want to start the day with a Coke or Dr. Pepper. Alcohol options, such as domestic and imported beers and canned mixed drinks, are available when you pay at the register.

The décor has no frills. Its style is the quintessential image of the classic American buffet. The interior reminds me of my neighborhood all-you-can-eat establishment; it is simple and somewhat outdated. The dining room is quite large with tables and booths, and it appears that large parties would be easy to accommodate.

The morning crowd is small. I don’t see the buffet’s attendance getting any bigger than 30 people at this point, which can be a good thing. Some buffets on the strip can get overcrowded. However, long lines and crowded dining halls generally do forecast quality food. I head to the buffet to check out what it has to offer.

The Buffet at Stratosphere offers a global culinary excursion, featuring entrees from Pan-Asia, Mexico, America, and Europe. For brunch the spread features the basic morning options: eggs, bacon, French toast, pancakes, and sausage. There is also a wide selection of doughnuts. I love doughnuts, especially maple bars. I grab one while I check out the buffet some more.

I fill my first plate with a mix of American and Mexican breakfast options including bacon, pancakes, French toast, and chorizo with scrambled eggs. I am pretty disappointed that there are no waffles among this morning’s selection. I mix the different items to try variations of taste and texture. To be honest, this plate is a bit lackluster; it’s nothing to write home about. I head back to the buffet and compile the next round thinking I might find something to rave about. This plate consists of a single portion of eggs Benedict, country style potatoes, and scrambled eggs. The eggs Benedict are appetizing and individually crafted, making them a definite step up from the last buffet I visited. The country style potatoes turn out to be too dry for my liking. The food’s shelf life seems depleted at this time. Because there are not many diners to consume the various dishes, the turn time at the different stations is much slower than usual and the quality of the dishes suffers. Although the food is still decent and certainly edible, I can imagine the items would taste much better from the kitchen.

To avoid any further run-ins with stale food, I head to the focal point of the buffet, their handcrafted omelets. There is a create-your-own omelet station, where one of their talented chefs prepares omelets right on the spot. The omelet station offers a wide array of ingredients. It has the usual: bacon, ham, sausage, mushrooms, red onions, jalapenos, spinach, and cheddar cheese, as well as less common options like crab and shrimp, a pleasant surprise for me. I decide to add most of the ingredients, thus making a gigantic omelet. Even though the items are piled on the pan, the chef creates my omelet with ease and repose. He then slides the omelet off his non-stick pan onto my readied plate, and I walk back to my table all set to devour my personal creation.

My omelet is piping hot, and the cheddar cheese oozes out of the center when I cut into it. The ingredients meld together, creating a blend of flavors that complement one another. I recommend stopping by the omelet station. It’s delicious, and a must have.

Though heavily laden with hearty, greasy breakfast favorites, The Buffet also has a selection of healthy options like oatmeal and yogurt with different accruements such as fresh fruit, and granola. With the wide selection of healthy eats, The Buffet promotes a wholesome jump-start to the morning. I grab myself a bowl of yogurt with granola and dried raisins, and oatmeal with brown sugar and dried fruit. I then make myself a bowl of fresh fruit including orange slices, pineapple, and cantaloupe to go along with my yogurt and oatmeal.

The table is cleared when I get back, which is nice to see since I wasn’t gone for too long. Our service so far has been top notch. Our server, Sal, is very attentive. He sees me return the table, and heads in my direction. He asks if we need a refill on any of our drinks. I decline and he goes off and tends his other tables. Our server’s acute attention to provide the best service is noteworthy and a factor I’ll consider when choosing a buffet to eat on the strip again.

I finish my yogurt, oatmeal, and fruit. Now I want to satisfy my sweet tooth with a dessert and end my meal in style. However, the desserts are minimal during breakfast. All that’s out are a dish of cookies and soft serve. Even the dessert cooler, which seems like it features pies and cakes, is completely empty. I’m disappointed. I grab a single chocolate chip cookie, which looks store bought, and head back to my seat.

The Stratosphere’s brunch is clear and concise. It meets two main criteria for any decent buffet: fill up guests’ stomachs with suitable breakfast and lunch options and provide friendly attentive service. For the price, it’s a place to consider for people on a budget and anyone staying at the hotel in search of a hearty meal before a day of gambling and fun. The wait to get in is nearly non-existent during the week, and even during weekend dinner hours, it does not take long to pay and be seated. Although I would not recommend going out of your way to eat here, I must say that I would come back again if it is convenient. For those not staying at Stratosphere, the entrance is easy to find, just a short walk from the front doors, and the ambiance is relaxed and quiet. Overall, if you only have time for one or two buffets during your trip, The Buffet at the Stratosphere is one to save for next time.