Makino Sushi & Seafood Buffet

FOOD

Makino’s strongest plate starts with nigiri. The sushi repertoire runs through tuna, salmon, hamachi, shrimp, scallop, eel, squid, octopus, mackerel, albacore and roe, with selection rotating with availability. The appeal is not simply that sushi exists on the buffet; it is that traditional fish-over-rice pieces occupy enough of the selection to let a guest build a plate around them rather than treating them as a token side attraction.

Rolls widen the range without replacing that foundation. California, rainbow, tuna, salmon, eel, spicy tuna, spicy scallop and tempura rolls sit alongside house specialties such as the Makino Special, Dragon and Geisha rolls, while temaki adds the hand-roll format. This is the section for sampling rather than committing to one elaborate roll: a few contrasting pieces can cover clean fish, spicy fillings, eel, fried elements and richer sauces before the next trip.

Dinner gives seafood a second focal point with crab legs, the clearest reason to pay the higher evening price if sushi alone is not the goal. Other seafood choices extend into oysters, fried calamari and hot preparations such as dynamite scallop. The useful distinction is that Makino does not make the guest choose between a sushi meal and a seafood-buffet meal; dinner can move back and forth between both.

The hot line is recognizably Japanese rather than an afterthought of generic steam-table food. Shrimp and vegetable tempura are central choices, joined by sukiyaki beef, chicken and beef teriyaki, udon, miso soup and grilled or baked fish preparations. Shrimp tempura is especially well suited to the format: it gives the plate a crisp, hot break from nigiri and rolls, then makes another return to the sushi counter feel like a change of pace instead of repetition.

There are quieter supporting sections as well. Seaweed salad, calamari salad, mixed greens and other cold salads can reset the plate between richer seafood and fried dishes. Udon and miso soup bring variety, adding warmth and a simpler savory note when a plate crowded with sushi starts to feel overly complicated.

Dessert keeps a noticeable Japanese thread rather than abandoning the theme entirely. Green tea ice cream is the most natural finish, particularly after tempura and seafood. The broader sweet side has included cakes, mousse, crème brûlée, cookies and fruit, while the chocolate fountain remains the more playful option for strawberries, melon, marshmallows and other dippable pieces.

The hierarchy is straightforward: begin with nigiri, use the rolls for variety, add tempura and a few Japanese hot dishes, and make dinner crab legs part of the plan when they are the reason for coming. Makino offers enough breadth to wander, but its best argument is still concentrated at the sushi counter. That is what separates it from a conventional seafood buffet and explains why the restaurant has remained part of Las Vegas buffet culture for more than two decades.