8/11/2008 - buffet madness

Ah, this video brings back memories. Growing up in Vegas, eating at the all-you-can-eat buffets was almost a monthly ritual... and I looked forward to it every time. And why not? The whole idea of a buffet is that you get to eat what you want and skip whatever doesn't tickle your fancy. Back then, the quality of the food was only so-so... roast beef sitting under heat lamps was par for the course and Jell-O was the requisite dessert. Of course it wasn't the quality that mattered, it was the quantity. If you didn't feel uncomfortably full when you were finished with the buffet, it would be considered a waste of money. It's called "all-you-can-eat", after all.

The current trend in buffets now are the super-buffets or mega-buffets, where you pay a premium for higher quality food which can include prime rib and king crab legs. To me, this defeats the purpose of the buffet as I had once experienced it. Back then, it was expected for the casinos to lose money on the buffets and that the whole purpose of the buffet was to draw gamblers in where they would lose their money on the slots. Therefore, if you didn't gamble, then you'd always get your money's worth if not more by gorging yourself on the buffet. Now, buffets will cost upwards of $30 per person and you'd have to eat a lot of crab legs to break even. See, I don't want to have to calculate the retail price of what I'm eating so that I can say I had a good deal. I just want to eat enough ham for me to pass out!