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| - I actually wanted to try the buffet at Texas Station, as I'd heard good things about it. But that old phrase, "Consider the source", haunted me. The folks who had told me this are plebian in their appetites and, while that is fine, they are like millions of others who would not complain if a server continually dripped hot coffee on them throughout the meal.
I got onto the Sunday morning queue and was dismayed as several people - 10, actually - made their way to "friends" holding spots for them in front of me. Oh, well. At the cashier, I presented my Stations Casino player's card, called a Boarding Pass, and was given a discount. I was eating free as it was, since I was checked into the hotel and a promotion gave me a substantial dining voucher for the stay.
After having signed in, I made my way into the dining room and was met by a hostess. My asking point blank, "Who is the best server here?" seemed to knock her off guard, as she blinked, and I needed to ask again. She pointed to a server walking past us, and I said good, I will take a table in her station. Apparently English was not this person's first language, because no sooner had I sat down, then I was approached by a completely different server who asked my drink order. "Water, no ice, please, and orange juice," was my reply, as well as, "May I have a bottle of hot sauce?" To which she replied, "Okay, coffee." No coffee, I said. Hot sauce only, and water, no ice. Within 2 minutes I had a steaming carafe of coffee, with all the accouterments, none of which I needed.
And so began another journey into the abyss of Station Casinos less-than-competent customer service. (Near the end of my meal, the original server again came by and apologized for misunderstanding my coffee order.)
I rose from my seat and proceeded to the buffet line, starting with the
traditional breakfast fare. The bacon was truly the best thing on the line, as well as some of the best tasting cured pork I have had in a while. Crisp, greaseless albeit very thin strips, which was why everyone would grab several tong-fuls per plate, they were flavorful and a nice counterpoint to other more unctuous and sweet offerings. The biscuits were commercial and 'bready', while the "sausage" gravy was watery and not in the least full-bodied, with nary a hint of the alleged sausage present. A tray full of eggs Benedict, something new and exciting, was parked under a heat lamp, which slowly turned nice, poached eggs into small, rubbery orbs. I got hold of a semi-fresh one and it was very nice, a treat not seen elsewhere.
When I arrived back at my table, I found my plastic tumbler of OJ, which was lukewarm, that being the best quality of this liquid. It was astringent and tasted as if the proper amount of water had not been added to the concentrate. As I ate, the server who had been pointed out to me walked by and I flagged her down, asking for cranberry drink and removal of the coffee. She even wiped down the table, which my server had not done, perhaps because she had not seen the spilt milk from the coffee creamer.
Finished with my 'first' plate, I made my second destination a chafing dish seen on the first go-round. broiled Swai, sometimes called Vietnamese River Catfish. It was moist, flavorful and done perfectly. The tartar sauce was okay but the poor, tired hushpuppies were dry and tough. Again enjoyed some more bacon along with the fish. Why not?! A trip to the Mexican bar proved very disappointing. Even in America, how can such a rich and flavorful cuisine be rendered tasteless and bland? Cheese sauce, ground beef in... taco or enchilada sauce, salsa... all devoid of Sabor, flavor. Very rarely do I salt at the table, and never on South Of The Border fare, but this needed that and more, which is why I had the hot sauce.
Desserts are a real conundrum, as there are so many choices lined up on their own, large island. Pre-sliced pies beckon, and the coconut cream was the loudest. Too bad the flavor did not correspond with the visual appeal. It was, again, competent. The glazed donut was very much 7-11 quality, which is to say tasty, crunchy and worth about 50 cents. What passes for ice cream did just that, passed. In fact, it is NOT ice cream, as the machine is labeled "soft serve" only. Another commercial mixture pumped out for profit.
An unattended carving station left many diners disappointed, as the roasts looked very appealing. Most offerings were properly labeled, with only a couple sans info.
The reality is this: if you want a quality buffet experience, something over and above the casino-tourist attraction, they exist, but you need to look elsewhere. No one here at this venue is making anything even resembling fresh-from-scratch food, and if they are, they are using pre-made commercial mixes. But don't blame them. Great dining comes second at places such as this which would rather fill you up then afford a memorable meal.
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