The Village Seafood Buffet

Twenty-nine thousand pounds of crab legs, 18,604 pounds of shrimp, 25, 000 pounds of lobster. . .and then there’s next month.

Village Seafood Buffet in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino has no shortage of seafood, that’s for sure. With good quality, lively atmosphere and modern décor, Village Seafood Buffet at The Rio offers an amazing amount of seafood delights for seafood lovers and land lovers alike. Feast on sumptuous crab legs, lobster, shrimp, oysters, prime rib, salmon, beef ribs, chicken mussels and catfish. Enjoy cuisine that appeals to a variety of tastes made fresh daily.

The Village Seafood Buffet's interior features cool ocean blues and frosty whites. Large sculptures are focal points for guests, as well as, of course, the mass quantity of seafood. Leather chairs and high-back banquettes in metals, blues and purples add to the modern-industrial atmosphere.

Still, the restaurant is an inviting bustle of tourists and locals alike, busily mounding their plates with oysters, catfish and shrimp cocktail.

Orchestrating The Village Seafood Buffet is Executive Chef Richard Leggett. Leggett's credentials include The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, The Grand Floridian Resort, Orlando and Paris Las Vegas and his culinary influences extend to French, Southern and Mediterranean influences.

Remaining true to his mantra “all about the food,” Leggett uses fresh ingredients and authentic techniques to create étouffée, jambalaya, sushi, paella and Moroccan chicken.

“With the Moroccan Chicken, we use a preserved lemon that we actually preserve for 23 days,” says Leggett. His attention to detail sets Village Seafood Buffet apart from other buffets.

The Mexican mariscos dishes use house made sofrito.

North American jambalaya and seafood Newberg with lobster and chef milk and eggs are made daily.

The Mediterranean station has a great orechette pasta salad with soft creamy feta.

The menu changes every few weeks. “That way we can keep the food fresh. We have a lot of repeat customers. . .each time customers come I want it to be a new experience,” says Leggett.

The plates are small to keep the food coming from the kitchen fresh.  

The Village Seafood Buffet highlight? House made gelato Twenty different kinds of gelato are switched in and out of 16 chambers in a rotating wheel of gelato. Choose from flavors like chocolate, pistachio, tiramisu and Elvis, which is made with peanut butter and banana.

“The decorations in the restaurant are nice, but I don’t want people to remember the decorations. I want people to say it was a nice restaurant, but the food was really good,” says Leggett.

It’s clear Leggett is passionate about food. All food and desserts are made in-house. Leggett’s preparation methods, great kitchen and attention to freshness and authenticity make Village Seafood Buffet worth the wait in line.

-- Review By Nikki Neu