Where to Eat the Cheapest Buffets on the Las Vegas Strip in 2026

You can still do an all‑you‑can‑eat plate stack on the Strip without paying luxury prices. The trick is knowing which buffets are actually operating today, what time of day keeps the total under control, and when an add‑on like bottomless mimosas quietly flips a “cheap” meal into midrange territory. I spend a lot of mornings and off‑peak afternoons eating through these rooms so you do not have to guess.

The short list for genuinely budget‑friendly buffet eating on Las Vegas Boulevard right now starts with Excalibur’s morning service and Circus Circus’ basic brunch and dinner. Bellagio’s weekday brunch is a step up in price but still reasonable for its location if you time it right. Wicked Spoon at The Cosmopolitan sits in the middle for weekday breakfast and lunch and jumps on weekends. Wynn and Bacchanal are the high end and useful as comparison points when you are deciding how much you actually want to spend per plate, per person.

What counts as “cheap” on the Strip in 2026?

On the current Strip, “cheap” for a buffet means an adult base price that starts under $35 before tax and tip on at least some days. That puts Excalibur’s weekday brunch and Circus Circus’ basic brunch in range, with Bellagio’s weekday brunch close behind if you want a nicer room for a bit more.

Breakfast and brunch are where you find the lowest numbers. Dinner always costs more. Wednesday afternoon will be less crowded and less expensive than a Saturday evening. Every figure below is the venue’s published or routinely posted price for the exact meal period named, not a one‑time special or a resale listing. Taxes and gratuity are extra, and “holiday pricing” can lift the number on long weekends.

Where the lowest prices actually are right now

Excalibur — The Buffet at Excalibur keeps it simple and cheap if you go in the morning. Hours are 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily, with posted pricing for weekday brunch at $32.99 for adults and $18.99 for ages 5–11. Friday is listed at $38.99 for adults and $19.99 for kids, and there is a $43.99 “mimosa brunch” option on Saturday and Sunday. There is also an All‑You‑Can‑Drink add‑on at $19.99 that covers beer, wine, mimosas, and well liquor. One detail families miss until they reach the register: one child age 10 and under eats free per paying adult, which can swing the per‑plate math hard in your favor if you have young kids along.

Budget play: stick to Monday through Thursday. The Friday bump from $32.99 to $38.99 looks small on paper, but it moves a two‑adult bill up by more than ten dollars before tax and tip. If your group is going to order alcohol, the $19.99 bottomless add‑on at Excalibur will almost always pencil out cheaper than buying two cocktails elsewhere.

Circus Circus — Circus Buffet runs a low‑frills buffet that is still one of the Strip’s least expensive. The resort lists it for brunch and dinner service; brunch typically runs on Friday through Sunday mornings, and dinner runs on select evenings. Recent public postings have brunch priced in the mid‑$20s per adult and dinner in the low‑to‑mid $30s, depending on day and hours. If your one job is to feed a hungry group for the fewest dollars on the Boulevard, this is the play.

Real‑world insight: the quality bar here is lower than the top Strip buffets, but you get volume and basics at a price no other Strip buffet is consistently matching. If you want the absolute cheapest possible plate and do not need a room with showy carving stations, this is the buffet you are looking for on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Bellagio — The Buffet at Bellagio is not the bottom of the price ladder, but its weekday brunch is a sane way to eat well by the fountains without a splurge. Bellagio publishes weekday brunch at $44.99 and weekend brunch at $49.99, both served 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. On weekends, Bellagio flips into dinner after 2 p.m., listing a Saturday seafood dinner at $69.99 and a Sunday dinner at $59.99 that both run until 8:00 p.m. Kids 5 and under are free, and kids 6–11 are 50 percent off. That children’s policy is generous for the Strip and matters for families doing the math against Wicked Spoon or Wynn.

Timing tip: weekdays save you a clean five dollars per adult over weekends here, and staying before 2 p.m. keeps you at brunch pricing. If you want seafood and carving stations that look like a Saturday night but cannot stomach an $80‑plus ticket, plan Bellagio’s Sunday dinner at $59.99 instead of Saturday’s seafood lineup.

The Cosmopolitan — Wicked Spoon prices weekday breakfast and lunch lower than weekends and dinner at the high‑end buffets. Current posted hours pattern as Mon–Fri breakfast around 8:00–10:30 a.m. and Mon–Fri lunch around 10:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m., with weekend brunch 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Typical adult pricing runs about $49.99 for weekday breakfast, $54.99 for weekday lunch, and $59.99 for weekend brunch. There is a bottomless beverage add‑on at the bar; the base buffet price does not include alcohol.

What you are buying at those numbers is a brunch‑centric menu, small‑plate presentation, and an atmosphere that feels more like a restaurant than a cafeteria line. If you value that and can go Monday to Friday, Wicked Spoon slots in between Excalibur and Bellagio for total out‑the‑door cost.

Should I do Bellagio, Wicked Spoon, or pay up for Wynn or Bacchanal?

If your budget ceiling sits around $45–$55 before tax and tip, Bellagio’s weekday brunch and Wicked Spoon’s weekday breakfast or lunch are your two best bets for a balance of room, selection, and price. Both let you eat in a polished environment for under the cost of one entree and a drink at a celebrity‑chef spot nearby.

Wynn and Bacchanal are not “cheap” by any definition, but they are the reason Bellagio and Wicked Spoon feel like value when you compare. The Wynn Buffet’s recently published figures placed daily gourmet brunch in the mid‑$60s per adult and seafood‑heavy dinner in the mid‑$80s, with long daytime hours. Bacchanal at Caesars Palace typically lands near or above the $90 mark for high‑demand dinner or crab‑brunch periods. Those rooms deliver the broadest seafood and carving spreads on the Strip, and you will feel the upgrade in the check.

A useful reality check: moving one meal from Wynn to Bellagio’s weekday brunch saves roughly $15–$20 per adult, which is the difference between eating another nice lunch on your trip or not. Swapping Saturday brunch at Wicked Spoon for Excalibur’s weekday window saves more than that if your schedule is flexible.

Timing, lines, and add‑ons that change what you pay

Two people at Excalibur on a Tuesday with the $19.99 all‑you‑can‑drink add‑on will land around the same pre‑tax cost as two people at Wicked Spoon on a weekday with no alcohol. This is why your drink plan matters as much as the posted buffet price. If one person is drinking alcohol and one is not, Excalibur still often wins because the base food price is so low Monday through Thursday.

Families should make their first pass at Bellagio and Excalibur because of the kid policies. Bellagio’s free 5 and under and half‑off 6–11 terms knock a lot off the total for four. Excalibur’s policy that one child age 10 and under eats free per paying adult is even more aggressive if you are a two‑adult, two‑kid group and can go on weekdays.

Expect the longest lines late mornings on weekends across every property that serves brunch. If you are set on Bellagio on Saturday, being at the door before 8:00 a.m. is a time saver and keeps you on the cheaper brunch ticket instead of crossing into the dinner session. Excalibur and Wicked Spoon are most relaxed Monday through Thursday before 11:00 a.m., which is when “cheap and calm” overlap.

Finally, clear up two recurring points of confusion. MGM Grand’s buffet closed permanently on May 31, 2026, and Luxor’s buffet closed March 30, 2025. If you see older signs on property maps or in third‑party lists, those were accurate once. Today, the value windows are Excalibur’s weekday brunch, Circus Circus’ basic service, Bellagio’s weekday brunch, and Wicked Spoon’s weekday breakfast or lunch.

Side‑by‑side: what you pay, when you eat, and why it feels cheap

All price figures above are per adult before tax and gratuity. Holiday and special‑event dates can carry higher menu pricing. Alcohol is extra unless a buffet specifically lists an all‑you‑can‑drink package.

Key takeaways for keeping the check low

• Eat breakfast or brunch. Dinner on the Strip adds at least $10–$20 per adult compared with morning pricing at the same buffet.
• Excalibur’s weekday brunch at $32.99 is the most reliable daily low on the Strip, and the $19.99 AYCD option makes sense if you plan two or more alcoholic drinks.
• Bellagio’s $44.99 weekday brunch is a value sweet spot if you want a nicer room and kid discounts that move the total bill.
• Circus Circus usually wins the pure price war. Expect mid‑$20s brunch and low‑to‑mid $30s dinner when it is operating on those periods.
• Weekdays beat weekends for both price and wait time across every buffet that serves brunch or lunch.
• If you see MGM Grand or Luxor listed elsewhere, those buffets are closed. Plan on Excalibur, Bellagio, Wicked Spoon, Circus Circus, Wynn, or Bacchanal for current Strip options.

Reader Q&A

Is there any Strip buffet that’s truly under $35 right now?

Yes. Excalibur’s posted weekday brunch price is $32.99 for adults, served daily from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Circus Circus generally lands in the mid‑$20s for basic brunch when it runs Friday through Sunday, and its dinner pricing sits in the low‑to‑mid $30s on select evenings.

Which buffet is the best deal for families with young kids?

Bellagio is strong because kids 5 and under eat free and ages 6–11 are half price, and weekday brunch is $44.99 for adults. Excalibur can be even cheaper if your kids are younger, since one child 10 and under eats free per paying adult during brunch.

If I plan to drink, which “cheap” buffet makes more sense?

Excalibur. The $19.99 all‑you‑can‑drink add‑on covers beer, wine, mimosas, and well liquor. Two cocktails elsewhere will usually cost more than that by themselves, so Excalibur’s weekday brunch plus AYCD often undercuts a pricier brunch with drinks a la carte.

What’s the best weekday alternative to an $80 dinner buffet?

Bellagio’s $44.99 weekday brunch and Wicked Spoon’s weekday breakfast or lunch at $49.99–$54.99 give you a polished room and carved meats without the high dinner tariff. If you want the absolute lowest number on the Strip, Excalibur’s weekday brunch at $32.99 wins.

Pick your window by two rules and you will not overpay: go Monday through Thursday and eat before 2 p.m. If you need alcohol in the plan, Excalibur’s drink package is the only one on the Strip that can keep a true “cheap buffet” cheap even after you fill the glass.

Published: September 23, 2026 · Reviewed by the Hey Las Vegas editorial team