I recently was in
Vegas and tried the
new Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar's Palace, which replaced my
beloved Lago. Like most buffets, the selection varies depending on the time of day, but is also updated from time to time.
Throughout the course of the day, over 500 items are made available and I aimed to sample as much of the lunch set as possible.
It was
$34.99 for lunch on a weekday (It used to be considerably less; they've raised the price four times since the buffet opened in September of last year. Dinner is now around the $45 mark). You can get a buck off if you're a Total Rewards (Harrah's/Caesar's loyalty program) member.
Overall, I probably ate or took a bite of over 50 dishes. I actually tried more dishes than I can list but here are the ones that stood out for me (from good to bad to interesting):
Thumbs up!
Gelato - There are unique, tasty flavors like Balsamic Fig and Vanilla Fleur de Sel (sea salt vanilla). Plus, it won't fill you up too much so you'll have room for the overwhelming variety of food to try.
Anything deep-fried, especially the fried chicken, which came with a thick and deliciously crunchy shell while remaining juicy and flavorful.
Pizza - Surprise I know. Most buffet pizza is only just okay, but the Bacchanal's pizza, while maybe a bit overly cheese for thin-crust, had just the barest crisp crust and a soft crumb. The toppings are notably premium deli quality. The garlic knots and pepperoni pinwheels were good as well (but not as good as the pizza).
Brisket (below) - Perfectly smoked and tender. No sauce necessary.
Sausage - Yummy artisanal sausages.
The
fresh juice bar has a decent selection (six choices) and were all refreshingly good.
Kalbi (Korean short ribs) - Tasty and the most tender I've ever had.
Nice
The
Coffee came in a vacuum pot that stayed hot for the entire two and a half hours I was sampling everything possible.
Cured Meats and Cheese - A good and varied selection of quality cured meats and cheeses.
Crepe Station - I've seen these at other buffets, but they're always nice to have.
Taco station - No, not Taco Bell-style crunchy tacos, but traditional tacos with small corn tortillas filled simply with meat, onions, cilantro, and red sauce. They even give you a wedge of lime and radish. It's much like you'd get from a taco truck (except it'll only cost you $1 to $2 per taco at a taco truck, so you'd have to eat quite a bit of them here to get your money's worth).
Roasted Turkey Breast - Flavorful and oh-so-juicy.
Bread selection - Fresh and plenty to choose from.
Misses
Fried Rice - Filling carbs; it dries up fast under the heat lamps and is not so good.
Mac and Cheese - Not bad, but very run-of-the-mill and it'll fill you up.
Creme Brulee (shown above with salted vanilla gelato) - Lacked flavor, a bit too eggy.
Tiramisu (above left) - Lacked that bitter espresso note and lady fingers for that matter.
BBQ Pork Sliders (see first pic) - Too much sauce.
Interesting
Sweet potato fries and tots are glazed, making them more sweet than typical. Not a bad thing, just different.
Tonkotsu ramen is not something I've ever seen at a buffet (although I've seen other noodle soups). It was okay, but I don't recommend it.
Pozole - Mmm... soup. A bit salty, but good.
Oreo Mousse - Mmm... Oreos in mousse.
Sadness
The
Meatballs were good (coarsely ground and with a nice hint of cheese), but sadly cold.
My
Prime Rib was a bit dry and not so good. I'm sure it varies with the cut you get (I was eyeing other people's plates with prime rib and theirs looked good!), but there you go.
Random
Donuts - I think they were left over from breakfast and I doubt they make these themselves. Something for everyone I guess.
I don't know
Seafood - I'm not a big seafood eater (read: I try to avoid it whenever possible) and I didn't try any of it here. The salmon looked good though.
They had mussels, oysters, and shrimp out, but not crab legs (I know how some people love their crab legs; I'd guess they offer it at dinner).
Most dishes at the Bacchanal Buffet were at least good. Some were great and a few not-so-great. Overall, I would say it stands a little taller than the other top buffets I've tried in Las Vegas.
