An Iconic Las Vegas Buffet Is Closing Its Doors For Good And The Reason Couldn't Be Clearer

Vacation goers who haven't visited Las Vegas lately might be surprised at just how expensive the city has gotten. According to Forbes Advisor, Las Vegas has experienced the most substantial rise in travel costs over the last five years. That includes a 47.45% increase in hotel room rates and an almost 14% increase in the cost of meals. The latter certainly wasn't always the case, though. For decades, the cheap all-you-can-eat buffet was a staple of Las Vegas Strip hotel casinos. 

As recently as the 1990s, Sin City visitors could stuff themselves at Circus Circus' breakfast smorgasbord for as little as $2.29, while the average price of a dinner buffet citywide was a measly $7.25 in 1994. Of course, these buffets have typically been loss leaders intended to draw tourists into a casino. The idea was that diners, after enjoying a meal, would stop at a slot machine or blackjack table and drop a few dollars — or perhaps even experience a considerably larger gambling loss. That's not entirely unlike how Costco sells its cheap rotisserie chickens with the hope that you'll also pick up a $2,800 home sauna on your way out the door.

Nowadays, casino hotels aren't as reliant on profits from gambling as they once were, so the gimmicks to attract players have been disappearing. That, combined with changing dining preferences after COVID-19, has killed many once-iconic Las Vegas buffets. And the Ancient Egyptian-themed venue at the Luxor is the latest victim. 

The Luxor and its iconic pyramid, which you can sleep in, was in the upper-echelon of Las Vegas hotels when it opened more than 30 years ago. Since then, countless other, newer, properties have opened and the Luxor moved down market, offering more affordable rates and offerings. With that said, the Luxor was still a solid choice in the portfolio of MGM properties. This was particularly true for buffet fans, because, until recently, Luxor operated one of only a handful of remaining buffets on the Strip. However, the cavernous subterranean dining room closed permanently on March 30, 2025.

As recently as early 2020, more than 70 casino buffets existed in the Las Vegas valley. However, many of these enormous dining venues simply never reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic. Even prior to its closing, Luxor's buffet was waning. The venue was only open five days per week and it only served brunch – open from just 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. At the time of its closing, the price to enter the buffet was $31.99 for tourists or $26.99 for Nevada residents.

As to why the Las Vegas buffet scene never recovered from the pandemic, the reasons are multifold. Perhaps the most obvious culprit is a heightened awareness of the unsanitary aspects of communal dining with hundreds of your closest friends — some of which didn't wash their hands — while sharing utensils and chafing dishes. Similarly, diners might have been more concerned over the food itself, from proper handling rules or safe serving temperatures. As well, many casino hotel owners have realized that the massive amount of space occupied by buffets could be utilized more profitably as multiple, smaller venues, such as a food hall concept.

While the Luxor buffet's food received lackluster reviews at best, there's no denying that those soggy eggs were served up in a fun atmosphere that harkened back to a time when Las Vegas casinos were all heavily themed. The eclectic decor included a golden sarcophagus, hieroglyphics-covered walls, and a Great Sphinx of Giza, partially covered in sand, just waiting to be discovered by the diners of days past.