Island Buffet At The Tropicana Hotel

Nothing Special

I have to admit that the old buffet at the Tropicana Hotel, the one that was next to the gift shop, was my favorite in the late 1980s. It was good and it was inexpensive, and I probably ate there 50 times. I was dissapointed when they closed it down years ago.

Today’s Island Buffet at the Tropicana Hotel isn’t anything like the old one. It’s very small in comparison, with a tiny serving area accompanied by a cozy seating area. The buffet overlooks the very nice pool area, ask for a window table if you don’t mind hiking up and down stairs to get your food. The night I ate at the Tropicana there were some really beautiful people swimming and getting that view was worth the effort.

As for the food, it was fair. There was only one live cooking station, serving up pasta. The pasta was very good, the rest of the cooked food at the buffet was overcooked and tasteless. The prime rib was dry and not worth the calories. The salad bar was small, with a limited selection, but what was there was fresh. The desert selection wasn’t big, but well done. Overall the food rates a C.

The service was above average, with the servers rushing to fill my drink whenever it got low. I also noticed that they knew the names of some people that I assumed were regulars. I’d give the service an A.

The dinner I ate would have cost $15.50, but I had a $3 off coupon because I was staying in a room at the hotel. Considering the mediocre food, and the fact that the only live cooking station was serving up inexpensive pasta, I’d give the Island Buffet at the Tropicana Hotel a C for the combination of food, service, and value. Not horrible, but certainly nothing special.