Holiday Buffets and Brunches (Phoenix: hotels, college, casino)

[Solere]

I have noticed a large increase in prices for holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter) buffets/brunches at hotels and restaurants. It seems like the lower range is now in the $40's, which I think is too expensive, so for Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving, I bought ham and turkey and cooked at home. I know there's food inflation out there, but it's too bad there aren't any reasonably priced, good value holiday brunches or buffets in metro Phoenix. Am I missing any?

[phx1205]

I never understood paying $50+ for lunch/brunch just because it is a holiday. Crazy! Our Easter tradition the past several years is to have brunch at Postino's on Central. I'd rather do that than try and stuff myself silly to get my money's worth at a $75 buffet.

[AZgarden]

Well my daughter and SIL took me to Gold Canyon Resort at the Kokopelli dining room and it was jammed. For $40 we had everything imaginable, but the price did not include gratuity so it got really expensive. Apparently alot of people still have $$$ to throw around at holiday buffets. I do not. I told them I would go, but they had to pay.

[Ponderosa]

There's always Country Buffet. Scoff if you must, but it is packed to the doors and out into the parking lot on holidays.

[Solere]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

There's always Country Buffet. Scoff if you must, but it is packed to the doors and out into the parking lot on holidays.

You're probably right. I think someone should create a buffet that's in between Old Country Buffet and a hotel price wise.

[BuckeyeBoyDJ]

Originally Posted by phx1205

I never understood paying $50+ for lunch/brunch just because it is a holiday. Crazy! Our Easter tradition the past several years is to have brunch at Postino's on Central. I'd rather do that than try and stuff myself silly to get my money's worth at a $75 buffet.

I agree I used to work as a server in my early college years at the Pointe Tapatio and I remember "Mother's Day Brunch" costing around $50 a person. It seriously wasn't worth 50 bucks the buffet was no better than Golden Corral. If I'm going to spend $50 a person I want live entertainment and complimentary valet on top of that not just some mediocre buffet that I could have gotten at any hotel in Vegas for a 1/3 of the price.

[corydon]

50 dollar buys an excellent steak..... Or two.....

[SMG]

Judging by the increases I am seeing with food prices, I fully expect restaurants to raise prices at any time. That $40 may be a bargain soon. Grocery prices have been climbing, have to think that will have an impact on restaurants.

[Desertspiritsteve]

Fort McDowell Casino and Talking Stick Resort put on some pretty nice buffets and is fun for oldsters and their friends. I'm sure prices will be going up with the rise of beef going up the way it is. The Golden Corral and other piggy buffets can be pretty gross with kids running all over and poor looking obese people. Point at Tapatio still puts on a nice holiday meal, I'm sure.

[Solere]

Well I checked prices at hotels for Thanksgiving Day buffets and was surprised to see prices at over $45 per person. It appears that the under $30 per person for a decent tasting buffet in a pleasant environment (not a casino with the attendant noise and smoke) is a thing of the past. It wonder if hotels raise prices on purpose for Thanksgiving. I finding metro Phoenix restaurant prices to be overpriced compared to the cost of living. They are on par with Southern California, where the cost of living is twice.

I also think that lower income people in Phoenix will be struggling this year turkey wise on Thanksgiving as you have to spend $100 at grocery stores in order to get a turkey for a reduced price per pound.