!±8± One of the Best Las Vegas Buffets! Very Detailed and Honest Review on the Rio's Carnival Buffet
This great food establishment is not only a locals' favorite, but also a favorite of ours! We go there every time we are in 'sin-city', without fail!
First of all, you will love the vastness of the place; every station is wide, modern, every dish is well displayed. Between the pizza station on the very left and the above-average, varied salad station (with healthy dressings too such as the precious olive oil and balsamic vinegar!) at the very right, you will have to walk some distance but it's well worth it. Variety is the name of this great food establishment; the quality is also very good.
Another great advantage is that it is rare that you have to line up for long. They have a self-check in system (if you pay by credit card and are not redeeming any coupons) which definitely speeds up the process; so far it's the only great food establishment with this system, and we welcome it! Of course, on weekends there is going to be a lineup wherever you go, and this buffet will be no exception. Only it won't be as long and as slow as at the 'Paris Resort' or as at Planet Hollywood, both on the Strip.
Because there is practically everything you may wish to eat at this lovely, huge, great place, you are well advised to sample each station and go for more only when you have sampled everything! We always start with the salad section, then we indulge in the absolutely divine made-to-order warm (or cold) sandwich section which also features ready-made delights such as the delicious Reuben sandwich (not available for dinner): its quality is the same as what you would be served at a top restaurant.
You will also find an abundance of soups, scattered in various stations, including the salad station (you will find several soups here, from chilly-based soups to seafood chowders - the latter is found, at times, by the deep-fried seafood section). Besides its delicious sandwich section (which includes the Reuben), another unique feature of this great food establishment is the made-to-order Thai and Chinese soups: the Thai options include a delicious Tom-Yum base soup (you can make it a vegetarian or a seafood one and choose the noodles you prefer) and several, tasty Chinese soups.
The Japanese section, besides an average offering of Sushi (if you are into Sushi you must go to the Today Sushi Buffet (at Planet Hollywood, see more on these alternatives further on) offers made-to-order stir-fry options and a teppanyaki grill.
Meat lovers will enjoy a Brazilian mixed grill, hot-dogs, burgers, fries and so forth, together with the ubiquitous carving station and other meat favorites.
Fish lovers will enjoy a variety of options, from stews to fish cooked in a variety of sauces to fish and chips and several deep-fried options. We always feast on the deep-fried calamari. They are very nice here.
A semi-made-to-order pasta section (where you can choose between a set number of pastas and sauces) nears the pizza section and, in between, a few antipasto favorites with delicacies such as olives, Greek salad and artichokes.
Like the majority of great food establishments, breakfasts offers delicious, made-to-order omelettes (remember to ask for any option you may fancy besides what they show on the station - we always bring some smoked salmon from a nearby section and ask the cook to prepare an omelette with it and some soft cheese).
The dessert section is great. It's large and varied and, besides anything that any other buffet offers and many, many more options, you will also enjoy some specialities such as the lava cake: this is prepared for you there and then if you have a coupon for it (given to resort guests or to visitors taking the free shuttle from the Strip, departing from Bill's Gambling Hall, on the side exit facing the Bally's). It's divine and, if you are a chocolate lover, you will absolutely adore this dish: it's a mix of chocolate ice-cream, chocolate cake and chocolate sauce, all prepared in front of you and heated up (hence the name 'lava'). If you are given a coupon for it and you love chocolate, leave space for this delight: you will be asking for more!
