The First Las Vegas Buffet Cost Just $1

If you're looking to eat at a buffet in Las Vegas, there is no shortage of options. The city boasts some of the biggest buffets in the world and many, including the Bacchanal at Caesar's Palace, have a world-class reputation. (It's so good that The Takeout once spent four hours at Caesar's Palace's buffet.) However, if you're looking to eat at a buffet in Las Vegas for cheap, you may be looking for a long time. This wasn't always the case. It cost just $1 — around $11 in today's money — to eat at Las Vegas' first buffet, the Buckaroo Buffet. 

At the start of the 1940s, Las Vegas was just an obscure spot in the desert. When casinos began to appear later in the decade, they weren't yet the kind of ultra-luxe resorts that boasted replica Eiffel Towers or Lady Gaga residencies. Instead, they were just places where people gambled, and the owners worked hard to provide incentives for their customers to stay at the tables. Beldon Katleman, who owned the El Rancho Hotel and Casino, offered one such incentive when he opened the Buckaroo Buffet in 1946. As buffets go, it was a modest affair, mostly offering cold cuts with a handful of hot dishes. However, thanks to its low price — and the fact it was the first casino buffet in Las Vegas — the Buckaroo Buffet became quite popular. In fact, it was so good at keeping gamblers playing that other casinos soon opened their own buffets. Despite the El Rancho burning down in July 1960, casino buffets remain an integral part of the Las Vegas experience today.

As Las Vegas went from a desert town to a gambling hub (thanks, Bugsy Siegel!), the buffets became increasingly elaborate to match the extravagant nature of the surrounding casinos and resorts. But even as the offerings went from cold cuts to king crab, prices remained relatively low. The idea was that the buffets would be "loss leaders," and that the money the casinos lost operating them would be earned back once the satisfied diners returned to their slot machines and roulette wheels. This worked for a time, but eventually appetites changed.

At some point, food in Las Vegas went from something to nosh on between poker hands to a draw in its own right. Today, diners don't just want to pile stuff on their plate; they want an experience, and they are willing to pay for the privilege. This is why so many of the city's buffets now offer food of an excellent standard. For example, diners eating at the Bacchanal Buffet can enjoy more than 250 dishes that range from ceviche to Korean fried chicken (yes, it is different to the American variety). Given the range and quality of the dishes on offer, it's no surprise that prices at the Bacchanal Buffet are significantly higher than those at the old Buckaroo Buffet with dinner at the former often exceeding $100, including tax and tip. While some buffets remain on the Strip, it's safe to say that they cost a whole lot more than $1.