Why There Are Only 2 Atlantic City Casino Buffets Still Standing

Atlantic City is one of the few places remaining in America where you can smoke a cigarette indoors and sit down for an all-you-can-eat meal. The final frontier of casino buffets is held down by just two spots: the Borgata and the Hard Rock. The Atlantic City casino buffet is indeed an endangered species. Forlorn Dionysian foodies have taken to a Reddit thread on r/AtlanticCity to ask, “What happened to the buffets? Did Harrahs and Caesars never reopen after Covid? Or did they open and then shut down? Are the Borgota and Hard Rock the only ones left?” Meanwhile, Las Vegas’ casino buffet scene remains alive and thriving, so what gives?

The chief culprit to this dwindling scene is the mass closures that came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many restaurants (not just casino buffets) shuttered and never reopened. Also, the era of the sit-down buffet might simply be fading like a beautiful sunset as modern diner needs change. “I’m old enough to remember [buffets] at Resorts, Ballys, Caesars, Claridge, Trop, (former) Hilton, Harrahs, Trump, etc.,” waxes one glum Redditor. “Basically everyone had it. Not now, sadly.” 

Happily, the Golden Nugget’s Atlantic City location recently announced it will begin serving a seafood buffet every Friday from 3pm-9pm beginning May 2, 2025, at $49.99 per person. Until then, foodies hitting the casino scene might have to explore one of New Jersey’s legendary diners if they want to grab a bite between games.

Today, Atlantic City’s casino buffets are limited to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Whichever you pick, we have a few tips for navigating any buffet like a pro to help you out.

At the Hard Rock, the Fresh Harvest Buffet runs for $42.99 per person – steep but with unlimited access to decidedly elevated fare. The buffet serves prime rib, smoked brisket, Asian and Mexican entrees, burgers, desserts, salad bar and pizza station, a full raw bar, and more.The buffet holds notably limited operating hours: 3pm-9pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and 12pm-9pm on Saturdays and Sundays (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays). The Hard Rock also offers a seafood buffet Thursday-Saturday at $59.99 per person.

The Borgata Buffet is comparatively cheaper, offering more everyday comfort fare. While the Borgata website doesn’t provide a full menu, Tripadvisor reviews mention oysters on the half shell, pumpkin soup, tuna tartare, steak, grilled chicken, espresso layer cake, and more. The Borgata Buffet is open Friday-Monday 8am-9pm, closed Tuesday-Thursday. It offers a morning/afternoon brunch menu, switching to dinner at 4pm. Incidentally, right before the brunch-to-dinner menu changeover is the best time of day to hit the buffet for the best deal. At the Borgata, it’s $24.99 per person for brunch on Monday and Friday, $31.99 for weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday, and $42.99 for dinner every day.

The downfall of Atlantic City’s casino buffets is the result of a two-part force: Shifting large-scale dining trends and recovery from the pandemic. At the East Coast Gaming Congress in Fall 2022, executives from major gambling companies and casinos summited to discuss how the industry changed during those months of involuntary closure. Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, shared, “It forced us and gave us the ability to say to our guests that things that used to be viewed as an entitlement, maybe they don’t need them as much as they thought they did,” as reported by The Associated Press. “Do you need a buffet? Should you have a buffet?” Shuttering buffets also means smaller payrolls for massive hotel-casinos to manage — a growing expense as the labor revolution continues to make important new strides. Low wage service workers have been winning livable wages, which means payroll goes up for businesses with lots of low-wage employees (i.e. buffet food service and hotel housekeeping).

Buffets might also be becoming an outdated dining concept as consumer trends and preferences change. The past few years have seen structured sit-down meals usurped by faster, smaller-portioned, convenience-based dining options. Gen Z and Millennial foodies increasingly lead fast-paced lives on the go, trading consistent mealtimes for substantial snacks – an emerging dietary landscape into which the buffet (casino or otherwise) simply does not fit.