Good Take Out on the Strip: Mirage

May note:  this buffet, which was excellent for years, has just declined significantly.  I ‘hear’ it’s due to a change in personnel/chefs (but I don’t know if that’s the reason) and that it’s temporary; you can read details on this all you can eat on our Cravings Buffet at Mirage Review page.  On this page we discuss their take out option, hopefully giving you tips and tricks to maximize it to your benefit:

If you want to save money, you can opt for a take-out option (very few Vegas buffets offer this at present):  for 16 dollars, you can pile up your food on the container (which is a good size) you are given once you purchase the ‘food-to-go’ option.  This is a particularly good idea during dinner money-wise, since many buffets in Vegas (including Cravings) raise their price significantly at dinner.

The Rule:

you can pile up as much food as you want provided you can close the lid by the time you leave (they will check).  So, it’s ideal for dry dishes or food which are not particularly watery (otherwise it’ll spill over all your other dishes); crab legs and similar are not a good idea because they’ll take a lot of space.

Soup Tips – if you like their soups (and some of them, as explained on our dedicated page on the Mirage buffet, are gourmet-delicious – though in May 2016 they were served cold and without love, as already mentioned), you simply cannot add them to your dishes, since you will not be given a container specifically designed for soups.  The only thing you can do is bring a low container (not higher than the hight of a short glass, but it can be wider, of course), place it inside the take out container, and add your soup; the rest of the food can be placed around your soup container (before you add the soup, of course). We’ve done it, it works, but you must be very careful not to spill it and you must insist that you handle the container yourself when they ‘bag’ it;  alternatively, if they insist on ‘bagging’ it for you, you must ask them to pay attention and not tilt it in any way (tell them there is food and it may spill over other dishes, but don’t tell them you have a soup in their in your own container!).

We’ve done it and it’s been a success.  You may not want to have soup but you may want to use this ‘trick’ with another dish which contains sauce or liquid and you don’t wish that to mix with anything else.

If you choose dishes that are not ‘dry’ (or that do not have water nor sauce in them), you may have the items ‘mixed’ up by the time you’re back in your room; what I mean is that the flavors will have mixed somewhat, because – if you are like us – you will have tried to pack as much food as possible inside the container.  So, choose wisely and pair your dishes in a smart way.  You are not on a timer so you can be very careful when you place your dishes inside the container.

How big is the take out container? It’s big enough for one person; if you are ‘small eaters’ you can definitely have enough food for 2 and that would make the Mirage take out definitely worth your while if you are on a budget.  If you don’t care about eating at buffets, 2 of you can eat at breakfast, lunch and dinner this way and you’ll be absolutely full enough, paying only 8 dollars per person per meal (plus tax).

To make sure it’s for you, I’d recommend you go to the buffet and ask to see the size of the take out container yourself; then, you walk around the buffet and work out what you can choose (and if it’s for you) and if you need any ‘secret containers’ to place inside their container.

If you still want to eat at a good buffet but want to pay no more than 8 dollars, it may be worth your while to get a free shuttle to the Palms buffet or – if they offer it when you go – a free shuttle to the much more distant Red Rock buffet (see menu for list of all buffet reviews). If you found this page useful, share it, thank you!

Location:  3400 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas (the Strip).  It’s the northern part of Mid Strip, as you walk towards the North Strip, facing the splendid-looking Venetian and a short walk to Caesar’s Palace.  A great take out option for anybody in this area of the Strip.

Full Mirage Buffet Review  –  Las Vegas Coupons  –  Best Vegas Buffets  –  Excalibur Take Out Buffet