It’s crucial to have a gameplan whenever you plan to dine in an all-you-can-eat buffet. This is particularly true if you’re going to an upscale eatery, as you’ll want to get more out of your money. Since you’re allowed to eat a lot and choose from a large spread of dishes for a fixed price, even if it is a bit higher than what some would want to spend when dining out, it’s best to know how you can take advantage of the situation.
For this, we’ve rounded up three important tricks that you should know before you head off to the MGM Grand Buffet or the Wicked Spoon.
Do your research.
This applies to every AYCE eatery you plan to go to because it’s the best trick on how to make the most out of the price you paid to enter the restaurant. Do your research about the restaurant before anything else so you can form a gameplan before you even pay for your meal.
For starters, look for deals. Many buffets offer coupons and special deals. Some hotels offer discounts and freebies to their own buffet restaurants, so if you’re staying at one of the fancy hotels with a buffet restaurant, look into that. Others offer all-day passes like the Aria Buffet, so you might want to get that as well if you just want to spend the entire day eating.
Another vital piece of information you should know is the buffet’s regular menu items. Make sure to get to know what the high-value items are available. This way, you can make a beeline for those first and avoid the temptation of the cheap and starchy items on the spread.
Time your visit effectively.
Buffet dining is also about timing, especially if you’re planning to go to a popular eatery. You don’t want to spend a lot of time queueing for your next serving or sampling. Scheduling your visit on a weekday and a non-holiday will help you avoid such issues. Coming a bit late would also help as most buffet diners want to get ahead of everyone only to end up competing with everyone early on.
Coming in late is also a way to sample two types of menus. Some like to come during the tail end of breakfast or lunch hours so they can extend their stay for the next meal time.
Come prepared.
Last but definitely not least, it’s very important to come prepared. This doesn’t mean that you should be starving when you head to the buffet restaurant in order to eat more. In fact, this might be counterintuitive as it might lead you to speed up your food consumption as soon as you get your food. Doing so can also fill you up quickly.
What you should do instead is to prepare yourself for the big meal. Drink water throughout the day to stretch your stomach. Eat a light meal sometime before heading to the restaurant so you can prime your tummy for the large amount of food that’s coming.
These are just a few tricks that you should remember if you want to get your money’s worth in a fancy AYCE restaurant. Give them a try and you’re bound to have a great dining experience that will justify your splurge.