Indulge In All-You-Can-Eat Prime Rib At This Casino Buffet Outside Of Denver

Buffets are a bit polarizing. Either you love them and their endless, all-you-can-eat supply of options, or you hate the fact that mass-produced food sits there out in the open. But regardless of your personal stance, they are undoubtedly popular, and every state has at least one great buffet. If you happen to be in Denver, you might want to drive about an hour west to the Monarch Casino Resort Spa in Black Hawk, where The Buffet (a simple, fitting name) is an endless extravaganza of delicious food that includes one extremely popular item: all the prime rib you can eat. 

The prime rib seems to hit on a popular theme — this impressive cut of meat is also the star of the show at Shanahan's, a popular Denver steakhouse. The much-loved cut is known for its impressive marbling, rich, buttery flavor, and tender texture, and it is generally considered a top choice for beef cuts. Prime rib is a favorite in restaurants, and when it's offered on buffets, people line up.

Dinner at The Buffet on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays is a bit pricey at nearly $60 per person (it's slightly cheaper at $54 the rest of the week). However, the variety of quality options is more than worth the cost, earning the restaurant such rave reviews online that you may want to check it out even if you don't gamble.

Buffets are known for having a bit of everything (okay, a lot of everything), but The Buffet at the Monarch offers quite a bit more over-the-top fare. It's not often you'll find a pho bar at a casino buffet, but it is part of the selection of Asian options you can choose from (and eat to your heart's content). Whether you want Thanksgiving in July or breakfast for lunch, you certainly won't go hungry. And then there's the seafood. Oysters Rockefeller, luscious lobster tails, and opilio crab legs are all up for grabs, although these last two are the only items you'll have to pay a $10 upcharge for if you want extra.

In addition to Asian cuisine and prime rib, you'll also find Italian dishes, Southern food, Southwestern cuisine, and more. This isn't exactly surprising for a casino buffet, but head to the dessert bar and you'll be delighted by the creativity on display. Cotton candy, an assortment of gelato flavors, and a chocolate fountain with white and ruby chocolate to dip strawberries, marshmallows, and macarons in are all regulars on the menu. 

There are other dining options at the Monarch Casino, like Bistro Mariposa, Monarch Chophouse, and the all-day and -night eatery aptly named Twenty-Four 7, but a simple glance at the menus will tell you what a great deal you'll get at The Buffet. The cheapest steak at Monarch Chophouse will run you $74 and, while it will undoubtedly be delicious, you can't beat the price of The Buffet with its all-you-can-eat prime rib alongside everything else you might have a hankering for.