Want a sure bet at MGM Northfield Park? Try the racino's buffet | Local Flavor

Sometimes going to a buffet can be a bit of a gamble.

But that's certainly not the case at The Buffet at MGM Northfield Park.

Full disclosure. My lovely wife Jennifer and I did gamble away $8 playing the so-called penny slots.

And full disclosure, I'm not sure we had any idea what we were doing since it seems like the penny slots cost a lot more than a penny to play.

But in fairness to the pit boss at MGM, Jennifer and I were in a bit of food coma after eating our way through the racino's expansive buffet so we were in no condition to read the fine print or directions on the flashy slot machines.

All I can say is there is at least one sure bet at the popular racino in northern Summit County and that is the buffet.

It recently reopened having been closed for three years since the start of the pandemic.

We went for dinner on a Friday night so there was a wide selection from salads to sides to main dishes to dessert.

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What are the hours of the buffet at MGM?

Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and costs $37.99. The buffet is closed on Tuesday and Wednesdays.

Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and costs $24.99.

A brunch buffet is served on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and costs $24.99.

Once you enter a queue to pay, you are seated by a hostess and your server, who is very attentive, will bring you water or a soft drink.

The service is so quick, you barely put down your fork and someone is ready to clear your plate from the table.

And you don't have to ask for drink refills as they magically appear at your table.

I've always been a fan of buffets and as a kid we would eat at Duff's and Old Country buffets and occasionally at Morrison's Cafeteria when we were on vacation in the South.

After Jennifer and I got married, we would take the kids to Golden Corral because we would feel less guilty than McDonald's since at least there was a salad bar.

I think the kids always enjoyed the endless soft serve ice cream rather than the kale.

Truth be told, so did I.

I found it interesting that, like me, the head chef at the MGM's buffet earliest memory of a buffet was at the Ponderosa Steakhouse where there was an endless supply of breaded chicken wings, stuffing and an oddly satisfying tangy red salad dressing.

But make no mistake, the buffet at the MGM is not your father's Ponderosa Steakhouse.

A lot of times, the selections on a buffet tend to taste a lot alike.

This is not the case at the MGM.

Practically all of the 70 or so selections on the buffet are made in house or locally sourced.

And some of the food is prepared right before your eyes with the buffet's open kitchen concept.

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What's on the buffet at MGM Northfield Park?

Chef Tony Graceffo grew up practically across the street from the racino so working there is a bit of a homecoming after stints as a chef with Giant Eagle's Market District and country clubs in Canton and Pepper Pike.

Graceffo, who's been with MGM for five years, said those who visited the buffet before the pandemic will notice some differences.

For one, they have moved and expanded the dessert options.

"We've elevated the buffet some too," he said.

The buffet is experimenting with small plates that feature a bit more ambitious offerings and are the daily creation of the various chefs.

On the Friday night we visited, sea bass and stuffed shells were offered as small plates.

Graceffo said eventually they would like to offer small plate selections throughout the buffet that include salads, international food, traditional American dishes and a carving station that included prime rib and salmon on the dinner menu.

He said they are working hard to locally source all ingredients when possible.

And this is most evident in the dessert section where the ice cream is from Pierre's in Cleveland, the cupcakes from T'Cakes in Northfield Center and the cakes from Davis Bakery in Cleveland.

"We want to use local farms and bakeries," Graceffo said. "We want to know where our ingredients and food is coming from."

The fresh and fried shrimp are pretty popular on the buffet, he said, but the biggest plate filler is the house made mac 'n' cheese.

Some of the offerings on this particular Friday night were a pleasant surprise like the succotash.

Turns out Graceffo is also a fan of the funny sounding yet yummy side dish that is a mixture of sweet corn and lima beans.

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Popularity of buffets on the rise

During its peak before the pandemic, the Buffet at MGM Northfield Park would serve 2,000 people a night.

Graceffo said post-pandemic there seems to be an appetite for old-school buffets.

MGM, he said, is seeing the number of customers lining up to eat at the buffets at its various casinos getting longer and longer with business more than doubling at some.

We tried our best to eat our way through the MGM buffet with the motto that it was a marathon rather than a sprint.

But eventually we had to tap out as were stuffed to our sea bass gills.

I did muster the inner strength for one last helping of my childhood favorite banana pudding dessert.

Visiting the MGM buffet truly makes you feel like a kid again where you can eat whatever you want and as little (kale) or as much (ice cream) as you want.

And you can even try some fancy adult things like sea bass.

Craig Webb, whose only regret is the buffet didn't have the Old Country Buffet staple fried cabbage, can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: MGM Northfield Park reopens buffet after being closed during COVID