by Peter Bijlsma

Of the five buffets operated by MGM Resorts, this one, at the Cosmoplitan, offers by far the best experience for the price. Those at MGM Grand, Excalibur, and Luxor are pretty mediocre and Luxor’s will be closing soon. Bellagio has gone downhill since it opened again after COVID, with no more king crab and caviar and snow crab legs only for dinner, not at the brunch. The servers don’t serve anything, they just collect used plates. You have to get your own beverages at a drink station or buy at the bar.

The servers at the Wicked Spoon are friendly and attentive. They bring a bottle of cold water to every table without even asking for it and take orders for soda, coffee, beer, wine, and cocktails. A beverage menu on the table shows the available drinks with prices. Bottled beer is around $11, wine $15, cocktails $18, and bottomless pours of wine, mimosas, and Bud Light $30 with a 90-minute limit.

At the Wicked Spoon, they’re also focused on keeping food waste to a minimum. Many items are presented in individual dishes rather than in bulk and that includes sauces and melted butter, discouraging guests to load up more on their plate or bowl than they’ll consume. Personally, I like to sample, picking up little bites, knowing that I can always go back and get more of something I like. Of course, you can’t do this in a regular restaurant.

There’s too much to list every item separately. Here’s a summary with some highlights.

The salad bar is on a separate island that includes the charcuterie section with cut cheese, salami, etc. The shrimp cocktails are also there. You get two large peeled prawns in a little dish with just enough cocktail sauce and a piece of lemon. There’s a good selection of fruit, several types of bread with a toaster next to it, and soups. Also smoked salmon with cream cheese, capers, onion, and tomatoes. And small dishes with tuna crudo and beef carpaccio. Little bags with corn tortilla chips and guacamole for dipping. Individual portions of salad, including Caesars.

In the main buffet, there’s an egg station where you can order an omelet with a selection of additions, such as bacon bits, cheese, ham, shrimp, onions, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms. They also have eggs Benedict, scrambled eggs, bacon, and breakfast sausages. Around the corner are individual dishes with what they call “angry” mac and cheese.

At the Carvery are chicken, turkey, ham, several types of sausage, pork shoulder, tri tip, New York strip, and leg of lamb with a choice of sauces and gravy. Don’t fill yourself up on potatoes, pasta, and pizza; there’s more good stuff coming.

The next section starts with the crab legs, clarified butter, and some Asian dishes including a selection of sushi. Also fried rice, roasted bok choy, spicy shrimp, and cute little take-out boxes with steamed white rice. Finally, there’s a stack of bamboo steamers with dumplings and some more dim sum items.

The separate dessert island features a large variety of pies, cookies, cakes, and ice cream if you still have room left.

When I visited, they had a special offer for Nevada locals on Wednesday: $38 instead of $47 with a state ID. On top of that, there was also a half-price or 2-for-1 promotion for MGM Rewards members, valid until Memorial Day, so I paid only $19 plus tax — best deal in Las Vegas for any brunch buffet, even without crab legs. Club members can still get the 2-for-1 deal until May 26, the $38 price for locals on Wednesdays is ongoing, regular prices are listed on our buffet page. You can barely get a single lunch item and a soda for $19 anywhere on the Strip since Ocean One closed.

Directions: The Cosmopolitan has two towers. The Wicked Spoon Buffet is located in the western one, known as the Chelsea tower. Take the entrance to the parking garage at West Harmon Ave. I prefer to park at level B4 or B5. There’s a loading dock for delivery trucks at B1, AVIS uses part of B2 for their rental cars, and the Jockey Club has reserved spots at B3. Try to park as close as you can to the Chelsea elevators. Once up at the casino level take the nearby escalator to level 2. The buffet is at the end of the hallway.

MGM Rewards members Pearl and up get free unlimited self parking. Nevada locals get 3 hours. To get upgraded to Pearl tier get the First Bank MGM no annual fee MasterCard. You can fill out an application at any MGM Rewards desk. Insert your Pearl or higher card into the slot when you enter the garage. The gate will open and you don’t get a ticket. Do the same to exit. All others have to push the button for a ticket.