Over the weekend we went into the Mandalay Bay [Warning annoying broken javascript] for the first time. The Mandalay Bay is the namesake property of the Mandalay Group which owns three contiguous properties on the south west corner of The Strip and Tropicana. The oldest of these properties is the Excalibur which also is the least expensive of the properties for rooms. With room rates as a judge one would understand that the Mandalay Bay is superior to the other of the properties. Our experience was more limited. A brief trip across the floor of the casino to the buffet. Once in the buffet, which sets you back about $23 per adult including taxes, the seafood quickly jumps out at you. Crab legs are everywhere as are a selection of other cold and warm fish dishes prepared in many ways.

Our first stop, as it normally is, was the salad bar. Rather I should say that we wanted a salad. What we encountered instead was a beleaguered spot or two of mixed greens, half a dozen ingredients and a limited selection of dressings. Had it not been for a trip to Sizzler in Barstow two days before it would have been the most embarrassing excuse of a salad bar I'd ever seen. There really are no words to describe just how spectacularly poor the salad bar was. The seafood which is prevalent is unfortunately far too salty for our tastes. The high point of the buffet was a great selection of meats including prime rib, turkey, ham, lamb and veal. The mashed potatoes, evidently real, also earn high marks. Overall, however, this is one of the "best missed" buffets on the Strip.