Old-school Las Vegas buffets with cheap eats are disappearing, replaced by ‘luxury’ options, trendy food halls, and celebrity chef restaurants

Eighty years ago, the first Las Vegas buffet opened with the $1 western-themed Buckaroo Buffet that offered cold cuts and cheese. Today, visitors can drop $175 on luxury buffets with lobster tail, prime rib and limitless drinks.

The old Las Vegas buffets didn’t make much money, but they allowed people to eat cheaply and quickly, giving them more time to spend their money on the casino floor.

But the number of buffets has dwindled to around a dozen on the Las Vegas Strip. Many...