March 27, 2001
After our first visit to the Bay Side Buffet at Mandalay Bay, we were left wondering why this worthy competitor to the best Las Vegas buffets does not receive more attention. Perhaps it is because Mandalay Bay is located at the south end of the Strip and folks don't travel down there just for an all-you-can-eat feast. Perhaps it is because the buffet is lost in the attention given to the top-notch restaurants at this resort. Or perhaps it is because Mandalay Bay itself doesn't go out of its way to publicize it.
Whatever the reason(s), it almost places the Bay Side Buffet in the category of "undiscovered treasure," based on the little we hear of it. So for now, at least, your visit to this gem is likely to reward you not only with a wonderful dining experience, but also with short or non-existent waiting lines.
The Bay Side Buffet is located at the west end of the casino, adjacent to the El Portal store and near Shanghai Lilly's restaurant. If you enter through the parking garage, you first walk through the resort's restaurant row, which includes such highly regarded establishments as rumjungle; Charlie Palmer's Aureole; Border Grill; and Wolfgang Puck's Trattoria del Lupo.
Without question, Bay Side Buffet offers one of the most attractive buffet areas in Las Vegas. It is completely isolated from the casino activity, and though it can seat 500 customers, its mostly small, partitioned seating areas create a real feeling of intimacy. The effect is made even more luxuriant with lots of natural and artificial foliage in a garden-like setting. This is topped off with a special dining area at the south end of the buffet, which features richly polished wood floors and a lovely view overlooking the resort's tropical water garden.
The food is uniformly of very high quality, and is presented at well-spaced serving stations divided by category, as is common at most contemporary buffets.
Before I present the complete buffet menu for your reading pleasure, I want to give special attention to two items, both in the seafood category.
Like most better buffets, this one offers cocktail shrimp. But like some buffets, the shrimp do not come pre-peeled; they are the so-called peel-and-eat variety that you must peel yourself. All things being equal, I'm sure diners would prefer not to peel their own shrimp. But the shrimp at the Bay Side Buffet are among the best I've ever had, and you will really enjoy them. Offered in copious quantities from huge bowls, they are good-sized and peel easily. Differences in the texture of cocktail shrimp can be subtle, but we've frequently noticed that buffet shrimp are a little mushy in texture. In contrast, these shrimp are firm and almost crunchy, and though cooked, they even seem to have the slightly salty aroma of the sea. When you try these, you'll know what I mean.
The other seafood item I want to call attention to is the crabs. When you dine at buffets around the Las Vegas Valley, pay special attention to the large crab legs these buffets may offer. You may think you are eating Alaskan king crab legs, but if they are not specifically labeled as Alaskan King, there is a good chance you will be eating an east-coast cousin known as opillio crab legs. Opillio is part of the snow crab family, which also includes a variety known as tanner crab, and together they are all in a genus referred to as spider crab because of their long, spindly legs that resemble those of a slightly smaller king crab. When we visited the Bay Side Buffet, it was the first time we've ever seen crab legs specifically labeled as Opillio crab, so there will be no confusion when you make your visit.
This leads to another comment about labeling. Bay Side Buffet does the best job of labeling/identifying its buffet items that we've seen anywhere. Virtually every item had its own label, even the condiments, so there is no mystery about what is being served.
Now let's take a look at every item offered at the excellent Bay Side Buffet:
Salad area: Caesar salad; seafood salad; antipasto salad; chicken salad; artichoke salad; tuna salad; vegetable salad; ambrosia; calimari salad; egg salad; Oriental noodle salad; cole slaw; mushroom salad; couscous salad; Mexican corn salad; chicken noodle soup; minestrone soup; tossed salad greens. Salad dressings: honey-Dijon; French; Italian; Thousand Island; Ranch; bleu cheese; oil and red-wine vinegar. Assorted rolls, croutons and crackers.
Italian Serving Station: tomato, artichoke & spinach pizza; Canadian bacon & pineapple pizza; buttered noodles with choice of Bolognese, carbinara and marinara sauces; baked penne pasta Bolognese; chicken parmigian; cioppino; Italian sausage and grilled eggplant.
Asian serving station: Chinese vegetable medley; cashew beef; Beijing pork chops; Shangainese fried noodles; shrimp & chicken with snow peas; pineapple fried rice; jasmine rice; pork & shrimp egg rolls; pot stickers; jalapeno sauce; Oriental hot sauce; plum sauce; Chinese mustard; mint cider sauce.
Carving Station: prime rib; roasted turkey; leg of veal; baked ham; grilled smoked salmon; cranberry sauce; turkey gravy; au jus; creamed horseradish.
Accompaniments near carving station: mixed seafood coquilles St. Jacques; grilled steak with tarragon sauce; butterflied fried shrimp; barbecued short ribs; broccoli with cheese sauce; wild rice with bacon and pecans; mashed potatoes with brown sauce; stuffing.
Mexican serving station: blue and white tortilla chips; black beans; yellow rice; beef fajitas; chicken fajitas; taco shells; flour tortillas; chili; taco beef; baked Spanish chicken; catfish with tequila lime sauce; beef enchiladas; chimichangas; tomales; salsa picante; tomatillo sauce; Oriental hot sauce.
Seafood serving station: Dungeness crab legs; chilled peel & eat shrimp; cocktail sauce; opillio crab legs; Dover lox; smoked trout; sliced tomatoes; assorted cheeses; assorted cold cuts; fresh cut fruit (mostly melons).
The dessert area is separated from the primary serving area and features a modest variety of soft-serve ice creams with toppings, pies, cakes, tarts and cobblers. I was particularly impressed with the originality of the sugar-free desserts, including chocolate cream pie, carrot cake, German chocolate cake, and lemon meringue pie.
Table service at this buffet is quiet and efficient. Beverage glasses are especially large, so there is less likelihood of running out and needing a refill before a server comes around.
We visited this buffet at dinner, when the price is $17.95 per person plus tax every day from 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. Breakfast is served six days per week from 7:00 to 10:45 a.m., at a cost of $10.50. Lunch is also six days per week, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., for $11.50. Sunday brunch is 7:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., for $17.95. If you have questions, you can call Mandalay Bay at (702) 632-7777.
The Bay Side Buffet at Mandalay Bay is well worth a visit. I recommend it highly.
--Best wishes from David in NV
