Palette Dining Studio

Satisfactory for a casino buffet. Oysters are nice. Mongolian BBQ is cool. Worth the $ 28pp. Service was kinda slow even though it was dead.

Went to the Palette buffet for New Year’s Day. This was one of the worst buffets I’ve ever had. It reminded me of the old Greektown Casino $ 10.00 buffet. They first sat us down at a dirty table. We were finally moved to another table after we asked for silverware. It took 20 minutes for us to get water. You are not allowed to make your own salad anymore. Not much to choose from. I don’t understand why they put baked meat pasta in the middle of the seafood section. The food was pretty bland. The desert bar had very little to choose from. I tried a piece of cake. It tasted like it was left out all day. All in all what an expensive disappointment. My wife and I will stick with Motor City casino.

Great service. Was actually surprised for a casino. No rush and very helpful. Would recommend to anyone and will be back again.

We were rushed out because they sat us at a table that was reserved. They had to remind us twice that the party would be in soon. We talked to the manager and he agreed that that was wrong but did nothing except he told us to just sit back down and stay as long as we’d like, this is after we had already got up and left the table. Which we only left because they started to clean up around us and started to reset the table, while we were still seated. By then my appetite was gone due to crappy service The busser would clear off plates that we were still working on, not asking if we were even done. The manager kept talking over me as I was trying to explain myself as well. Assembly Line at MotorCity is way better if you ask me, they treat their guest with better respect. I will not be back.

What’s better way to fill your tummy after running 13.1 miles? A buffet! Well after the race and a quick shower, we walked to the MGM Grand, looking for a place to eat and watch the Brown’s game. We ended up at the buffet at Palette Dining and we ate and ate and ate.
Started with the salad bar, a little different concept because you didn’t make your own salad but you told the person behind the counter what you wanted and they made it. The girl serving my friend seemed to get a bit annoyed that she was asking for so many toppings. My friend just wanted a little bit of each thing she chose, but she ended up with a giant salad. Seems odd to me that you don’t serve yourself as you do for everythign else there, but oh well. The guy making my salad made it perfectly fine… no complaints.
Two of my friends went to the omelet bar, where they picked out their toppings, put them on a plate and gave them to the person making the omelets. The omelets were a thin crêpe like consistency, folded over to make a decent sized breakfast.
They also had a seafood counter, which in my opinion was pretty weak. The best part of it was the shrimp cocktail and lox. There was a carved meat station, didn’t try it, but did try some of the sides, mashed potatoes, sweet mashed potatoes (the best thing there in my opinion).
Last we ate at the dessert bar… several things to choose from. Crème brûlée, gelato, cheesecake bites, etc. It was all okay, edible but not great.

There is always a buffet at a casino! We came here around 9pm after visiting the Detroit Riverwalk, we were a little hungry, and the buffet looked pretty good, the staff allowed us to take a look before we decided.
Meh, I have definitely had better buffet food, honestly I would say it was comparable to a Golden Corral, but with fancier options. I enjoyed the salad bar fresh with lots of add ins, it reminded me of a NYC style salad bar where they mix everything for you along with the dressing. The desserts were also really well made and many different sweet offerings including gelato!
The service was great, just like everywhere else in the hotel, professional and friendly!
The price was $ 28 per person, pricey for not so great food; but so were all the other food options in the casino area.

There’s nothing more American than a casino buffet. Detroiters should feel lucky to have several casino buffets within city limits, and Palette is the first of them I have tried.
It’s probably been years since I’ve «buffeted», and I can’t complain because the $ 28 dinner per person cost was offset by 1) 20% off since I am an MLife member and 2) My cache of MLife comps for occasional slot play was enough to cover two dinners as a rainy day treat!
I loved the Mongolian BBQ stone grill– I piled on the veggies and sauce, and the maestro oiled and cooked it with some lovely shrimp! That was so filling, I hardly had room for the many other standard buffet choices! Taters of all styles, pork loin, oysters on the half shell, desserts for days, mac and cheese, etc, etc, etc!
Nothing negative about this place — it is what it simply is: overindulgence.
Bön apetit!

Afternoon lunch that was pretty decent. I enjoyed the salad bar and stir fry. If you are trying to eat healthy, which I am, they have good options.
Desserts looked good but didn’t make it over there. Remember, you can pay with comps and also get a discount with a players card.

What is wrong with an all you can eat Buffet with Shrimp, Oysters on the Half Shell, Pastas, Salads, Chinese, and also an «American Food» I guess I’d call it section with your standard roasts, BBQ ribs, meats, and veggies? Well there isn’t anything wrong with it! We both ate like royalty. For some reason both of us really dug the Creamed Corn with Kale side, Yum! We could have spent $ 50 on a dish at any one of the other restaurants in the MGM Grande but we were happy with our $ 54 meal for the 2 of us at Palette. Oh and the Desserts were surprisingly yummy too!

All you can eat crab legs/​seafood on Wednesday is the best! The crab legs are fresh and they keep them coming. There is a variety of food on Wednesday. The sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob are all delicious. There is also a salad bar where the servers prepare a salad of your choice and there are good variety of salad choices.
There is also a Mongolian Barbecue style station at this buffet.
TIP: The drawn butter for the crab legs is very bland and should be seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon.

So l haven’t been here in about a year and I am not happy with the changes. The salad used to be build you own. Now it is attended and someone prepares it. This lady seemed very unhappy to be at work. I get that for most people dining the salad is just a starter but for me it is usually my meal. I had to ask her for more of everything which I think annoyed me and her. Then there was a trail mix/​granola topping toward the end. I asked what was in it and she told me granola. That was a sucky answer because it was clearly more in it than granola. The person attending this area should know because of patrons and allergies. Overall not bad but the salad station made me not enjoy the experience.

I have been to Palette twice in the past couple of weeks. I did like this restaurant but there were a few things I was not as pleased about.
First the good:
The Chinese section was great! Both nights I went on Tuesday nights and there was an noodle bar that was very good! Cook to order noodle dishes were very good and tasty and fresh.
I visited the seafood/​fish area. It was pretty good. Nothing awful and nothing truly amazing. But absolutely nothing «bad».
My last part of this place I went was the «American» of «home cooking» area. Ummm… the meatloaf is edible. The mashed potatoes were bland. My biggest complaint… macaroni and cheese. I really wish restaurants would stop serving this version of it. It is basically macaroni pasta with the creamy gooey velveeta type of cheese on it. Mac n Cheese is ALWAYS better when made with fresh actually cheese. A little burnt cheese is always good. :)
So overall, another spectacular 3-​star. Oh BTW, at $ 28 a plate, I would not suggest it for just a quick bite to eat at a good price. I am tempted to take away a star just for this. If you average out the food experience, it equals what I would give a Golden Corral. The price is only justified because you have walked in to the magical MGM Grand.

Service was alright but the food certainly was not! There was not a lot to choose from and the food they did have was pretty bland! Then the deserts I thought would at least be decent boy was I wrong! The cookies were gross and the ice cream tasted like medicine! Please save your money and go to Motorcity Buffet which is where I wish I had went in the first place!

Quality of foods gets lower as a time goes by. Oysters are finger sized and crab legs are not cooked properly. A kind of massive production of legs and shells. No fruit sections. Chinese section is not attractive and American section is dead. A restaurant charges $ 39 with a tip could be better than this.

Planned a nice evening out for my wife’s and my son’s birthdays. They wanted crab legs and oddly enough so did I. I thought the crab legs buffet would be a nice outing.
I called ahead for basic information: hours and pricing. This info is also on their website. I informed the young woman on the phone that one of my children is three and inquired if there was a charge for her. She noted that children three and under were free and that humans four and up were $ 39. Fair enough.
We get to the MGM and are abruptly stopped by hotel security. Children are not permitted in the Palette Dining Studio at all. Now when I called, that might have been a good time for the young woman to tell me that instead of us having to find out by way of casino police. I’ve got the «WTF» look on my face and am a little irked about this. The security was less than impressed with my look and told us that we could eat in TAP or we would have to leave. Instead of exposing my kids to a local smoke-​athon, we opted to leave.
BTW-​The MGM’s website says nothing in regards to not being able to bring kids. That little tidbit would be nice. Also, a little correct information might be in order for the people who answer their phones.
In short, we took our $ 120+ dining budget elsewhere – right across the street to the Motor City Casino.

There have been a few recent changes to the menu at the buffet. Before, there were prepared cold salads to choose from. Now, it is a custom salad bar where they make the salad for you. I have mixed feelings about this change. On one hand, it is very easy to take the things I dislike out of a salad by just not having the chef add them in. On the other hand, the salad they make you is huge. I like to try a small amount of different things when I go to Palette and I felt like the salad was too large, even though I specifically requested a small serving.
Another thing that is a much older change, but still kind of irks me is that they used to have cool little tapas style appetizers at each station that highlighted the offerings of that section. I remember having a fig and prosciutto appetizer and a few other creative and tasty bites back when they used to do that. I wish they would have a few more select things to sample in addition to the regular buffet offerings. The food is good, but I would like to see a few more exhibitions of culinary creativity. It is obvious that the staff prepares quality food; I would like to see their talents shine as well.
Also, they used to have blown glass tumblers and Waterford tableware at the restaurant. Now, they just offer standard restaurant ware. I liked the other table settings better. They were lovely and creative.
Overall, I always enjoy a tasty dinner at Palette and I have a few things that I really enjoy while I am there… I just feel that the selections and presentation used to be a little more upscale. Unfortunately, the price seems to be the one thing that has consistently gone up. I wish they would return to some of those flourishes that made them unique in the past.

After a really shitty session at the casino, I figured, «Why not eat away my misery?» Turned out that was a great decision.
First off, I was here for lunch. I’ve been to the buffet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and I can tell you that I was shocked to learn that everything about the buffet at the MGM Grand in Detroit is better than its big brother in Vegas.
Yes, it is kinda pricey and, yes, MGM is normally not generous with its comps, but that doesn’t take away from how amazing it was.
The décor was phenomenal. Extremely artsy layout. It felt like I was in SoHo, not Detroit.
Then there’s the selection. This place is massive and spread out, and they have everything you can think of (for lunch!!!). Chinese? Check. Delicious ribs? Check. They even have the best mac & cheese I’ve ever tasted. They also have a crêpe bar. Soooooooooooo good. The best part of the buffet was the dessert. So many options. It’s hard to pace yourself here.
If you’re ever in Detroit and need to visit a buffet in a casino, this is the place.

Overpriced.
Bland food, boring selection. Fried chicken had no seasoning. Ambrosia salad? Really? That’s nasty. Sushi? Not when the rice is actually hard because it was sitting so long.
Oh, and close-​to-​spoiling oysters that may be one of many reasons my husband and I felt disgusting for the rest of the night.
Service was ok. It wasn’t that busy for a Friday night and yet it was sometimes difficult to get our server’s attention.
Lastly, the carpet around our table was filthy. One side was a lonely, smashed broccoli floret and on the other was a sad and whittled piece of lettuce. Is this the norm here? I would expect more from the MGM and from a buffet that charges around $ 30.
My advice? Go here when you are at your lowest. Fill yourself up on crap and then hate yourself even more.

We went to MGM Casino and Palette Buffet for the first time in Oct 2012…
We liked the buffet just fine., lunch was perhaps a tad high priced at $ 18 but the exceptional service made up for it. They had a current modern approach to buffet dining, we appreciated that. Food quality and choices were par with no real surprises. Again, we really appreciated how nice all casino and buffet staff were… A pleasant experience!

For my first visit in downtown Detroit, Unilocal led me here for dinner.
I probably should have asked more locals than just rely on reviews.
Anyways, I was pleasantly suprised. There was a LINE when I was there. That’s a good thing.
Food was good.
Loved the ice cream. My favorite flavors were Pistachio, Mango, and Tiramisu.
Shrimp Creole was my favorite food item. Yummy!
I’m not sure how the tipping system works here. The workers don’t expect it and the tables around me didn’t leave anything.
I left mines on the bill at the register since I was paying with CC.
I told the waitress on the way out and she wanted me to follow her to the reigster to get it… awkward…=/