Centennial Buffet

I enjoyed the crab legs here. I made several trips since they put fresh ones out constantly. I have been to several buffets with AYCE crab and lobster. This one is the best. The meat was actually sweet and warm since they were good about keeping it coming. I can’t wait to come back when I’m in CO.

I like the all you can eat crab and holiday buffets but if its an ordinary weekday the food is disappointing. The salad bar is good and the service is friendly.

We were in line at 3:00, and were the third ones in. Very clean, all the stations were fresh. The salad bar was stocked with a very wide selection of items. The all you can eat crab was being refilled constantly. The Prime Rib was outstanding and not skimpy. Very generous cuts! The staff was courteous and attentive. I chose the tip option at the cash register at 20%, but would have gone higher at the table. The Military Discount was a nice surprise!

What’s up with the haters? This place nails it!
Hit up the Mother’s Day supper and it was exact-​o-​ly what we were looking for. This was some mighty fine eating. The crab was delish; best I’ve had from a buffet. Upon perusing the selection I spied and tried some made to order phở. Phở at a buffet? Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit ain’t that a pleasant surprise! Also dug me the grilled slices of fresh whole pineapple too, ’cause I need my sweet with my salty. My lady said the salad was good, I wouldn’t know myself but you can take her word for it. And of course, the buffet mainstay that is Crab Rangoon was On. Point.
So let’s brass tack this… The buffet game in Denver is god awful. The Centennial Buffet at Ameristar, however, is a great buffet that is a short and scenic drive up the hill. Yeah the price was a little up there for Mother’s Day, but if you want yourself a high quality buffet that’s what you gotta pay.
Can’t wait to get our arses back up that hill!

Great food, but way too expensive! $ 20 per person. Plus additional $ 9 for crab legs. Love the food but can’t keep going often at that price.

What happened? We paid $ 12.99 they had hardly any food? It was a bit embarrassing since I bragged how great it was.
I dunno Ameristar… what’s up?

Umm… Well…It’s not the worst buffet I’ve been to, but it’s not the best either. I typically gauge how good a place is by how many patrons are in the establishment. I’ve never seen it crowded here but decided to give it a try for the 1^st time this week. The salad bar had adequate selections but they looked like they had been out for some time so I steered clear of most. The BC dressing was… it’s hard to describe… not very flavorful. The asian selections were decent and the pizza was good. The Prime Rib was good but gristley and they don’t give you much. I didn’t see any crab legs, only peel and eat shrimp which were okay. The dessert bar was very good with a nice selection. Not sure I will be back. I prefer the Isle, Monarch & Mardi Gras buffets.

My wife and I returned again to the Centennial Buffer for our 2^nd Valentine Dinner. We were extremely disappointed. Here is what we didn’t like.
1. Prime Rib — It was like chewing shoe leather and didn’t have any favor.
2. Gumbo Soup — It was terrible. Having grown up in Louisiana, I know how to make outstanding gumbo and this wasn’t it. Whoever made this didn’t make the roux correct. It still had the flour taste, which can be caused by not cooking the roux correct. If I had served this in my home. I would have run out of town.
3. Asian BBQ — had a lot of fat on the it.
4. Orange Chicken — It was mostly coating with a small piece of chicken. This was fried to long, which was like eat a piece cement brick
5. Coconut Cream Pie — The cream filling had bits of coconut flakes but lack the intense flavor of coconut. Only the meringue had a good flavor.
6. Raspberry Tart — Outstanding flavor
7. Three-​layer Strawberry dessert with a Heart Shape chocolate on top. The top layer was a strawberry meringue that had no flavor. Second layer was a chocolate rice crisp medallion that was to thick. When you tired to take a bite, it smashed the bottom layer. It should have been thinner so you good enjoy the bottom cake layer. Bottom layer– was a strawberry cake that had no taste. It would have been better if it had some strawberry purée in the batter to intensify the flavor.
8. Crab Legs — Their were okay — needed to flavor added to the water when cooking them. The only way to improve the flavor with the use butter — a lot of butter.
This meal wasn’t worth the $ 63.82 dollars that we spent for a Valentine Dinner. We could have gone to a Red Lobster and gotten better food. Yes, this is a buffet style, but the food lack flavor.
We were extremely disappointed and will not go back again. Unless you are okay with throwing money on the table, I don’t recommend the Centennial Buffet.
Steve and Claudia Farrell
Denver, CO

Saturday morning brunch, 9am– Yes, I’m definitely going with a 5 star rating! First off, I really wasn’t in the mood for traditional eggs and toast and wanted more lunch type selections. They have a huge assortment for 9am in the morning. From Asian to Spanish, even the carving station was open. As buffets go the food is usually lukewarm, theirs was warm enough to keep me happy. I have enjoyed almost all the breakfast buffets in Blackhawk and Central City. This one is the most expensive but for selection and variety it really can’t be beat. Our waitress was very attentive as I used about 6 plates. She checked on us so often it was almost too much. But that’s okay, I tipped her well. For all you naysayers out there, I dare for you to post a better buffet (excluding price). You can’t! What makes it great is really the diversity of options. Not many people come here to eat alone, so for your group, everybody’s taste buds can be satisfied. I travel to Vegas about 3 times a year and have eaten at the best. This will match most, (not all) of Vegas finest. Great place in this small town to eat! But if you’re just looking for some cereal and fruit, you will find it to be overpriced. Come hungry and chow down! I sure did!
P. S. If you gamble a lot, swiped your card at a kiosk and didn’t get your just rewards, ask to speak to host. They will most likely comp you. Ask! What’s the worst they can say? Thanks Ameristar!

Came in on a Thursday around 5p, they opened at 4p and there were maybe 4 other people here.
Dinner Mon-​Thu $ 19.99 per adult, 4p-​9p
Dinner Fri-​Sun $ 26.99 per adult
Atmosphere: Nice country style décor, relaxing, a lot of space for big groups.
Boy this place filled up fast… lol, there are other restaurants to choose from but this was the best choice for us, especially with a toddler.
Menu: There’s an abundance of delicious food to choose from; Asian, Spanish, Italian, Fruit & Salad Bar, Dessert Bar, Seafood, Baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, fried shrimp, mussels, I could go on and on… so much and sooooo good!
Mon-​Thu you can purchase crab legs at $ 8.99 a pound.
Fri-​Sun it’s all you can eat.
Will definitely be back!
Oh, they also have a Lunch Buffet ;)

Whenever I’m craving asian food I typically go to this buffet as they have made to order Phở along with «Chinese» dishes. The buffet has a good assortment of desserts and salads but the Mexican fare leaves much to be desired.

We love love love this place. Found out AYCE crab legs are only on the weekends now … so we only come on those days. Shrimp is spectacular, cooked to perfection and crab legs with garlic butter– need I say more? We skip out on what’s left on the buffet, as we come for the seafood. Dessert though, is actually decent for a buffet.

Very, VERY good breakfast. Excellent Bacon, delicious biscuits and gravy, and fantastic ham — pretty good trip tip. Lots and lots of assortment; the only thing missing was fruit. They didn’t have much fresh fruit, and it was a little bit pricey ($ 17.99) for breakfast. Still, worth it — and I’d go back in a heartbeat. Was very disappointed when we woke up Monday to find out they weren’t open.

BEWARE THE DESSERT TROLL. The gentleman controlling the dessert buffet was completely rude and not only to me. He gripes and lectures paying customers about anything and everything regarding his area. Completely distasteful behavior. Otherwise everything was wonderful. Our waitress was amazing. She was very nice and attentive. The other attendants joked with us.

Better than the other buffets around here, but not as good Vegas. Just to clear up some confusion they do all you can eat crab leg’s during the weekend Friday — Sunday and on Monday through Thursday it’s by the pound.
Selection is descent enough with prime rib/​turkey station, mexican, italian, and asian stations. The food near the Mexican and Italian station were kinda sad. Most people were lining up for the prime rib, crab legs and asian stuff which also included Phở. There’s also a huge salad bar too and a great selection of desserts!
Although not the best crab legs, it’s still ok if you eat a ton to make it worth it. If you don’t then not sure if it’s worth it for you.
Our services staff was great though and probably why I give this 4 starts instead of 3! She was very attentive and cleared out our empty plates quickly every-​time we got up to get refill our gluttonous bellies! haha

Food you get here is comparable to golden corral, only you pay $ 20 per person here. They used to have crab legs which was worth the price, now they don’t.

Let me say the food here is awesome! Great selection and almost everything tastes awesome. My favorites are the deep fried jalapeño crab leggies, Won-​Tons, pizza and all of the wonderful desserts! This really would have been a 4 or 5 star review if they didn’t take away the all you can eat crab legs!!! Now they charge $ 8 per pound! That is so lame, come on Ameristar, we know that you are making a ton of money off the games, can you at least be fair about the food? Ever since the change we have started eating at the Monarch buffet which offers all you can eat crab legs and gives you a lobster for 18.99 per person! Be on the lookout for my review on the Monarch. If Ameristar happens to bring back the all you can eat crab legs I will be happy to revise my review and continue frequenting their establishment.
#missingmycrableggies

Food was pretty good! Especially the dessert. For being a buffet I think it’s the best one I’ve been too! The waitress we had was awesome! Very nice and attentive! I wish I would have gotten her name.

Dont waist your time or money they dont do all you can eat crab leg’s and the food has gone down hill very unhappy

Crab legs. Lots and lots of crab legs. They also have Mexican, Asian, salad, desserts stations. Made to order phở, decent for a buffet. They also have rangy crab (cua rang moi)!

Favorite place to eat at Blackhawk! Go for the Friday and Saturday night crab leg dinner. Be prepared to wait because there will be a long line.

It’s a casino buffet, so you have to figure that some stuff will be better than other stuff. And that’s exactly the case here. Went on a Sunday night and apparently there were no crab legs that night, so that was a bummer. They had a good variety of cuisines, though I wouldn’t quite go as far as calling them «ethnic», since they’re mass-​produced to serve the crowds. But probably most people would be able to find a few things they liked well enough. I won’t go through all the items, you can decide for yourself what type of food you prefer. Some looked more appetizing than others, and generally the taste reflected the look. Other reviews mentioned strawberries at the dessert station with the fondue, but we didn’t see any even though they would have been in season. The minimal available fruit on the salad bar was pretty fresh, so I’m not sure what the story was there. The service was pretty good, and they get points for accommodating a larger group, even with a sizable dining area. Most buffet items were restocked fairly quickly, and they had a good number of staff to cover a weekend night. All told, not bad, not outstanding, probably gets the job done for most of the captive audience at the casino.

I was really impressed the last time I went here for an early birthday celebration for my husband. Had to celebrate 3 weeks early because I went on the Nutrimost diet… It’s all fun and games till your jeans don’t fit anymore. Anyway, the staff is very professional and on top of things. For a buffet, the waiters are very attentive. Refilling drinks, clearing plates and emptying the crab bucket frequently. On top of that, they come around and talk to you, making sure the service is up to par and everything tastes alright. Ok, so my favorite dish ever is crab legs. I always get them steamed when I eat up in black hawk, but it was chinese new and they had a lot of Asian dishes including some stir fried crab legs. They were lightly coated in a crunchy layer of flour and tossed with a jalapeño/​garlic sauce. A little but messy, a whole lot of flavor and finger licking good!!! Probably the best crab legs I have ever had. I usually go to the lodge to eat because my meals are comped but ameristar blew them out of the water. I don’t mind paying $ 27 per person for the quality and quantity. Even the mash potatoes were off the chain. Real potatoes, creamy, mashed with a hint of garlic and butter. Mash potatoes are usually bleh at any buffet but not this one. They had a huge selection ranging from Mexican, Italian, Chinese and american. They even serve phở! Every dish there was outstanding! The dessert selection is heavenly. Individual servings of apple, coconut, chocolate silk pie, s’mores, chocolate fondue fountain, bananas fosters, strawberry cheesecake, raspberry chocolate chip ice cream. Needless to say– for my last good meal for awhile, I’m sure glad I went here. The couple at the table next to us was laughing because I ended up having to lay down in the booth. I over indulged but it was worth every spoonful. This buffet is the best up in Blackhawk. Their hotel, spa and casino are also top notch. After my diet is over, I’m looking forward to posting more reviews and photos! I’ll post about this diet plan eventually but it involves resetting my metabolism because I enjoy good food too much to give it up completely!

Shockingly good pizza. The staff is very friendly and very helpful.
Not too excited about sitting next to a lady who went through several buckets of crab legs.
Great cookies as well!

The staffs do not look like they are there to work they are very social able with each other but to customers it’s like they just have an attitude. No smile no greeting just tell us how many people and go sit.
It was an unwelcoming environment and it wasn’t worth coming here. The food is alright but not worth the rude staff members.

Came here for Thanksgiving because it’s cheaper than the city. Highlight of the day was the creamy pumpkin soup. Asian station serves the nutritious Bok Choy and sweet and spicy cucumber cold dish. Price was elevated for the holiday, 25 dollars a pop. Drink is pretty cheap and service is attentive. Overall pretty good experience … just go there early to avoid the line!

Great service and warm atmosphere. At least the desserts and fruit are the most edible things. I would recommend staying away from the tri tip and and any other beef substance they may offer. The pasta is tasteless as are the soups. The list goes on. However, if you’re here for dessert, fruit and soda then have at it for the $ 12 lunch buffet. Still not worth it.

There isn’t a comparison to the gargantuan buffet feasts in Las Vegas and the more sublime affairs in Colorado’s limited gaming towns. In terms of venues that try to emulate the Las Vegas experience, the Centennial Buffet inside of the Ameristar Casino arguably comes the closest.
That isn’t to say that the Centennial Buffet is a high quality level — this is largely a strap the food bag on and chow down type of affair. Still, a variety of different kinds of meat (tri-​tip, ribs, and barbecue beef) were all pretty tasty and somewhat redeemed the overall cost of the experience.
The Asian area of food was very disappointing, as it was largely bland and not fresh (at 5 p.m. on a Thursday). The dessert and Italian areas were both pretty good though, and it’s possible there may be too much variety and choices to sustain the business this buffet attracts on some days.
In all, not a bad choice to partake in Black Hawk or Central City, though be aware that a slightly improved version of Old Country Buffet may be what you are getting.