Monte Carlo Buffet Review

Monte Carlo is now Park MGM and they no longer have a buffet.  They have a large Italian-inspired eating area called Eataly, which I have reviewed extensively both on the new page on Park MGM Las Vegas and on my video section.

Previous:  Monte Carlo Buffet Review (hours and prices at the bottom). Before getting into the details, I’d say that there’s been a somewhat worrisome trend adopted by some (thankfully not all) MGM Entertainment buffets in Las Vegas, namely that of offering a decent (or great) all-you-can-eat on weekends (including Sunday Brunch and Friday & Saturday dinners) but… Only on weekends on on special dates.  Midweek they seem to revert to some pitiful mix of  badly cooked, badly kept and – worse of all – with worse ingredients.  For some Vegas buffets the difference can be striking, whilst for others just noticeable.  Monte Carlo buffet falls somewhere in between.

Monte Carlo buffet is very much average (and at times bland) by any standard: quality, size, range of dishes. It’s nowhere near as bad as some other ‘former-average’ buffet-now turned-awful’ have now become, so if you have a 2 for 1, a discount or any kind, a coupon or simply if it’s part of your package, by all means eat here.  Otherwise it’s of course a great choice if you want something quickly since it’s easy to get to from the Strip and easy to leave once you’ve eaten.  No maze-like route to and from this buffet, which is very nice; in fact, I like the Monte Carlo resort in this aspect:  it’s relatively small so everything is easy to get to.

Here you will find all you expect from any average Vegas buffet. No crab legs for lunch (but yes for dinner and weekend meals), as in most other run-of-the-mill buffet (they are saving money these days!) but a definite green flag if you have a 2-for-1 deal or even a free deal.

The overall decor is actually quite pleasing. This is a smaller-than-average buffet (but not as small as the beautiful buffet at Treasure Island, for example – although the Treasure Island buffet is still better), so don’t expect to walk and find the variety of dishes you would do at the Rio buffet or, of course at the magnificent, huge, Studio B Buffet (still affordable, especially for midweek lunch) and Bacchanal (getting less good value for money every day)!

Fish and Meat: the fish options here at the Monte Carlo buffet were more than acceptable in terms of quality and quantity; the meat section – in my opinion – though plentiful, lacked in taste. The pork chops were very hard (but this could be a one-off mistake, of course). Made-to-order Philly Cheese Steaks are also available.  For lunch they mostly seemed to have make-yourself burgers (decent range of toppings) and hot dogs, besides the ubiquitous rotisserie.

Atmosphere. All in all, it really depends on the time you are going, and trends are every-changing; quiet enough, generally comfortable seating, nothing fancy.

Service. The service was good enough.

Pasta. Made-to-order pasta section (which you will find in many Las Vegas buffets these days with enough choices). I actually like the pre-made Vodka Red Cream Rigatoni (this dish was actually well above average, to my surprise).  However, for midweek lunch they had several pre-made pastas which were all average.

Chinese Section. The same as at any budget Vegas buffet and, overall, quite bland. The only thing we liked was the Bok Choi.

Pizza. Not even remotely as good as the newly revamped Rio buffet, for example. The first part of lunch they must have had a different chef because the pizzas were good, thin-crust and overall more than acceptable. Then, they high-doe, cheap-looking pizzas came out. So it’s probably a lottery.

Salad Section.  A Greek salad (which, these days, you won’t find at all buffets in Vegas), a bean salad, a pasta ‘salad’ (pasta with diced meat and some greens) with standard condiments (no hummus, at least not on our latest visit) They offer two types of lettuce and fresh spinach in the make-your-own section.  Don’t expect any ‘gourmet’ dressing options such as artichokes or pitted Kalamata olives, or other delicious toppings to render the salads less boring. the buffet at Luxor was surprisingly better in this respect (among the MGM Entertainment buffets).

Soups. A better-than average selection.  We found clam chowder soup here, unlike the ‘basic’ corn chowder we found everywhere else; egg drop soup and chicken soup where also available.

Mexican Section. Small and run-of-the mill. Plenty of beans, chili and some menudo-type soup (but without the tripe).

Dessert Section: Small, nothing exceptional.

Service. The service was attentive and overall good. Maybe because they weren’t too busy.

Wireless Internet: if you have your laptop and enjoy staying connected wherever you go, you will love this buffet! You can enjoy the Monte Carlo Convention Centre wireless service from here. The signal is great.  Things are changing though, especially with the huge transformation this resort is going through; some aspects may change rapidly or not work for a while.

Overall:  compared to the buffets you may have back home (our local buffets back home are horrific and expensive), the Monte Carlo Buffet in Vegas is a great buffet.  If you compare it to other Vegas buffets, it’s average at best.  But it’s by far not the worst you can find on the Strip.  This means that if you are not too fussy and have free buffets offers (with your booking or with myVegas), it’s a perfectly adequate option.

You may decide to opt for the all-day buffet pass here, since it’s available; before you decide, consider the pros and cons we highlight on our all-day buffet pass in Vegas page.

Monte Carlo Buffet Hours and Price 2016:

Breakfast (Mon-Fri) 7-11am – $19+ adult and $13+ child

Lunch (Mon-Fri) 11am-4pm $20 adult and $15 child

Dinner (Mon-Fri) about $27+ (adult)

Weekend Brunch about about $24 (adult)

Weekend Seafood Dinner $29 adult $20 child

All-Day Pass Mon-Fri about $35 (adult)

All day Pass Weekends $46 adult and $26 child

Buffet-to-Go Option:  $20

Please remember that prices and hours can change suddenly without notice; therefore, always check with the establishment.  You can simply call the operator and ask to be put through to the buffet or, simply, ask them for hours and prices.  Phone:  1 – 707 – 730 – 7777 . Taxes are not included in the price advertised (this is important to remember for European visitors).

Location:  3770 Las Vegas Boulevard South; almost mid-Strip and next to City Center.  A good location.

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