The MGM Grand buffet is set to close permanently on May 31, as the Las Vegas Strip continues to move away from the all-you-can-eat dining rooms that were once a staple of the city.
The closure, first reported by KLAS-TV, follows a trend of major resorts replacing traditional buffets with food halls and specialty restaurants. MGM officials said they had no immediate plans for the space, which will sit empty once the kitchen shuts down at the end of the month.
The buffet has been a fixture at the property since it opened in 1993. Historically, these venues were designed to keep visitors on-site, but the high costs of labor and food waste have made the business model difficult for resorts to maintain.
As reported by The Independent, Las Vegas has seen a notable shift toward curated dining experiences as resorts prioritize profit margins over the high-volume service of the past.
The disappearance of the buffet accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when health restrictions forced every self-service dining room in the city to shut down. Though some high-end options returned, many never reopened.
For visitors, the move further reduces the number of budget-friendly options on the Strip.
When the MGM Grand location closes, only a handful of traditional buffets will remain, including the Bacchanal at Caesars Palace, the Buffet at Wynn and the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan. Other remaining options include the buffets at Excalibur, Circus Circus, Palms and Main Street Station.
The MGM Grand’s decision to shut down the buffet ends a 30-year run for the venue. Public reaction to the announcement has been mixed, especially on Reddit, where users debated the value of the experience.
Some visitors said the buffet was a convenient staple for hotel guests but felt its value had diminished in recent years. Before the closure, prices ranged from $32 to $43, leading some diners to argue that the quality of food no longer justified the cost.
One Reddit user described the venue as an “overpriced version of a Golden Corral,” while another remarked that for the last four years, the buffet had become “mediocre and too expensive.”
Some commenters suggested that the decline in quality made the closure inevitable, with one writing, “When Excalibur outdoes you on something, then you know something has gone horribly wrong.”
Despite the criticism, some diners lamented the loss of the mid-tier option.
One person said they were likely “in the minority,” but enjoyed the variety of a brunch buffet where they could find everything from carving meats to fried chicken at a mid-range price point.
Others were more critical of the broader trend on the Strip, with one user calling the newer food halls “massively overpriced mall food courts” and another stating that the current business model seems aimed at “pricing the middle class out” of the Las Vegas experience.
MGM Resorts did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent.
