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Fun (or as fun as you can get) in Richmond
Lulu island is kind of dull, but there's some alright places
The Buffet at River Rock
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
19 reviews for The Buffet at River Rock
19 reviews in English
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Review from Holly K.
10/23/2011 8 photos
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food here. My husband and I both agreed it did not have that weird casino buffet food aftertaste. It was fresh and everything we did get had good flavor.
I had bought the Lucky Penny package that gave us discounted dinner and breakfast buffets, so we didn't pay full price, that always makes food taste better, right?
We got to the dinner buffet right when they opened. There was a whole roasted pig out on the table, I have included the photo. This was the first time I have ever eaten anything like that, and WOW, it made me want to roast a pig every weekend. There were a lot of fresh options, tomato salad, corn, marinated mushrooms, just to name a few. The desserts were plentiful, with the usual suspects, like cheesecake and ice cream.
We have been in several Casinos around the country, and we both agreed this one has the best food. The tables were not all mashed up on each other, so it felt open. We were able to sit right by the big windows facing the river and had a nice view to watch otters and cranes while we ate.
We did get there right when they opened, so there were no lines, however, right when we were leaving there was a serious line forming at the hot foods bar. Serious enough, that had I been stuck in it, that my rating of four may be lower.
The next morning we went down for breakfast and got right in and sat close to where we had the night before. Breakfast selection was skimpier but still good. They had plenty of meat and eggs out. I am not a breakfast food person, so any breakfast buffet is always going to be a, meh, for me. However, I know this going into the battle and know what I like, they had it, yogurt, fruit and boiled eggs. The pancakes looked dry, but since I didn't eat it them, I won't confirm it. They did have a poached egg with spinach that was super good. That made the whole breakfast.
Overall it was a good experience and if you can get there when they have the whole roasted pig, it is worth it. -
Review from Raymond O.
Vancouver, BC
Woke up early and decided to have breakfast over here this morning. For $14.95 I thought it was a steal. No line up. Yay. None much selection. Boo.
Just your basic breakfast items you find elsewhere - bread (white, wheat, multi), eggs benedict / eggs florentine (underneath stale English muffins), pork bacon / turkey bacon, pork sausage / turkey sausage, hash browns (crispy!), 4" pancakes, french toast, waffle (soggy!), blueberry yogurt, cheese (swiss, cheddar), cereals, and fruits with some soaked in brine to make them last longer and taste sweeter (melon, honeydew, watermelon, grapes).
That's it. Oh and your drinks (coffee, tea, juice). Okay, now I covered everything. Half of these I didn't mind tasting. The other half not worth coming back for more. I could have just walked over to Twisted Fork and get a more decent breakfast for the same amount.
The quality and taste you'd understand when you see hotel guests walking in with vouchers. Not really worth for paying customers. This is the breakfast buffet selection I'd expect in a 2 star place like Day's Inn or Comfort Inn or any Inn for that matter.
No apologies for my unenthusiastic review. You are a casino that rakes in millions and you don't just call your restaurant an eatery, but "The Buffet", right? In fact you don't stop there at imitating Vegas places because now you're building an offshoot place called "The Hotel" just like Mandalay Bay's concept.
So the comparison is an attention called to itself. And besides, why make excuses of not comparing to world-class spots. Do you want to increase your standards or just remain low and forever make excuses for your sub-standard quality because you're in Richmond and not Las Vegas? Exactly.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/2/2010
If you've been to other hotel casino buffets especially the ones in Las Vegas then you know you've… Read more »
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Review from saul m.
9/5/2011
The good....
Like the casino, the dining room is modern, spacious; with a scenic view of the Fraser River. Our group of 12 was seated quickly since we had a reservation.
The desserts were the culinary highlight of the buffet. The shrimp wontons were soft & delicious. My 14 year old niece loved the baked macaroni & cheese because it was coated with bread crumbs. She also liked the fried rice although it was a bit spicy hot.
The bad...
The line for the hot food was very long. We waited at least 15 minutes to choose from the unexpectedly few selections of hot food. They should have had at least 2 lines for self service. The "ice cream" tasted more like cake icing than ice cream. The chicken fingers were more batter than chicken. Almost all the rest of the food was forgettable.
For the price I expected more food selection, & better quality. -
Review from Michael P.
Burnaby, BC
7/25/2011
First and foremost, if you're going into this buffet restaurant expecting it to resemble those you'd find in Las Vegas, think again. I understand that the resort and theater with the noise and lights of the casino are intriguing but don't let it set you up for disappointment.
It took my friends and I (about the 7 of us) a little over 30 minutes to be seated. The staff kept assuring us that the wait was only another 10 minutes but, of course, that line was used on us multiple times.
The interior was clean and spacious and the servers were very courteous and on top of removing our dirty dishes. The buffet offers a wide variety of food. To be brief, there's an extensive salad bar, basic sushi, pasta, a roast, seasonal vegetables, soups, Chinese food and dessert.
I have no complaints about the salad choices or the sushi as the rice was surprisingly well seasoned and cooked. The roast was a medium rare, not overcooked and the gravy with Yorkshire pudding was fitting.
The pasta, Chinese-style fried noodles, fried rice and dim sum, however, looked and tasted like left over take-out food. They were dry, flavourless and unappetizing. One might argue that I didn't have to eat from them but consider this: if there was a higher standard at the buffet, perhaps it would be rightful to replace the dish after a certain amount of time, rather than leaving it there to sit until it's been consumed. In addition, the french onion soup tasted like quality one would be able to find by opening a can.
Dessert selection consisted of fruits and various mousses, cakes and self-serve vanilla ice cream. I wouldn't consider them of the best quality but suitable enough to round off your meal.
Having taken everything into account, paying a little over $35 per person for such a meal was a little steep so I do advise you to keep your expectations low. -
Review from Paul P.
Vancouver, BC
8/31/2011
Quantity over Quality.
Went to the River Rock Buffet for the first time tonight with my Girlfriend and my Father, and to be honest I have had a lot better.
If you can get in before 7pm, they offer a 25% discount, which makes me not complain so much as it was less than $20 for a pretty amazing spread, however it was definitely Quantity over Quality.
Lets start off where I did: the Salad bar, it was not too shaby, all the regulars plus a few nice additions, like a mushroom salad plus a Waldorf salad were nice.
On to the feature of the night: "Sushi" let's just say, I have had much better Sushi for $2 a roll.
Then on to the main course section. Going in, it looks really Amazing, upon further examination, I noticed all the Chinese food did not look good at all, so I did not try any of it, The Ribs were OK at best, they kind of tasted like they were sitting a while, however the Prime Rib was spectacular.
On to the best part of the night, the dessert bar, it was also Amazing to look at but, once you went in, and ate most of the stuff, you would be disappointed if you were served this in a restaurant. Most of the pie's & cakes tasted like they came out from a frozen box, however their Yogurt & Tiramisu was very nice.
Overall, for the price point, it wasn't bad, but I would be disappointed if I paid anything more than $20 for this. -
Review from Gina I.
4/26/2011
I don't know why you'd compare this buffet to a buffet in Vegas. It's not Vegas guys, it's Richmond (insert LOL here).
I had family staying here, so I met them for the breakfast buffet. I was surprised at how crispy the bacon stayed and how yummy their egg frittata was. I pretty much liked everything I tried here.
It is a buffet, and the food *does* sit out, so I mean there's that. It's good for what you can get and I'd come back again to have the breakfast.. and maybe the lunch or dinner. Plus, it had a nice view of the river too.. -
Review from Evahhh Y.
8/26/2011
20+$ for dinner buffet, what buffet????
This is cafeteria food, 2 small hot stations, a mediocre dessert bar,
Sushi roll table and salad bar..meh! Family parties have more food than this place.
It's not worth it, it's salty, mushy, dude hospital food is better.
To top it off, cooks were grumpy. The only good thing about this
place is the sushi rolls, and it's cleanliness. That's about it!
So ATTENTION OWNERS, expand the hot tables and fire the cooks.
People come here for a good time, and your serve crappy food? What a waste of a beautiful space. Grrrrr. -
Review from austen m.
Vancouver, BC
5/19/2011
I've had breakfast buffets much worse than this one!
Be aware that this is a bit pricey especially considering casino food is usually cheaper than $16.50. Although I don't know if the river rock is a 3 or 4 star, but anyway a "buffet" doesn't exactly scream 5 star dining.
The food selection is immense. I remember at least three large islands with pretty much any standard breakfast items you can think of, and the quality is good any and all. You can even make your own eggs Benny! -
Review from Fritz S.
3/2/2011
Ive been here a fair amount of times. and this place has it all.. Shows, Gambling, drunk people, you name it! and there's not that many buffets in Richmond so i was pretty stoked about The Buffet here at River Rock.
Just like any other Buffet establishment. it had a Salad bar with a ton of different items, an entree section with all sorts of different eats: Mashed potatoes, Chicken, pasta, roast beef, fish, corn, gravy, ...
..they even have a separate Asian section with dim sum, chow mein, u know.. typical Asian cuisine, but i found the asian food to be WAY too greasy! i felt i was eating oil and fat... not a good feeling in my tummy this happend not one but 3 times ive been here. I know what your thinking. "Fritz if you thought the food was too greasy, why did you eat it over and over again" ...... Simple answer IM ASIAN! i can't help it.....AND im fat... :( also the roast beef was hella dry as well and lacked flavor. oh man! I ended up just eating sushi the rest of the night
The Dessert wasn't anything special, with the exception of the chocolate fountain and marshmallows ;) It had the typical Cakes, Tirimisu, chocolate cakes, cream puffs, bread pudding, and even items with no sugar.
Overall: this place was ok. not great but ok. and yes i would come back but only on occasions like Valentines day, Mothers day, Birthdays, or if i get a good hand in poker *wink* ... k im done -
Review from Simon K.
9/10/2010
I have come to this buffet for dinner, and for breakfast, and I'm a fan only for the reason that there really is not that many buffets in the GVR. Also it is not the shabby quality of Uncle Willy's so called AYCE. I really cannot name many buffets in the city, and I must say River Rock does a good job in regards to the breakfast and the dinner. Certain nights get you certain foods as well.
Coming here for the dinner portion, I remember the special of the night was a chinese roast pork with crispy skin that was served up by the chef cutting it up, and placing it on the people lining up for it. Probably one of the better roast crispy skin porks I've tasted. They also have enough servings of salad, and other meat and pasta fixings to fill your stomach. The selection is big, and they also have a nice selection of chocolate strawberry fondue that you do yourself with the chocolate fountain. A good assortment of fruits to boot.
The breakfast was very good, with tons of selection, from two kinds of eggs benedict, fresh fruit, cereal choices, yogurt, sausage, eggs, many forms of bread, and service. They come by always clearing your plate, and asking what you would like to drink.
If you have a casino card you get a discount off your meal too. Your not going to get Vegas style buffet, but the buffet is alright here, think about where else you would get this kind of food? -
Review from Tabatha Anne Y.
Richmond, BC
8/8/2010 5 Check-ins Here
What do you expect from this place? It's a casino buffet. Granted, a nice casino, but it's still a buffet. They do their best, but it's not going to be gormet food every time you go up. They do a good job of keeping all food items fresh and tasty looking. There's something for everyone, as is the case with most buffets. It's a great place to go if you're already at the casino, or with a group of friends. I eat here a lot with my family because no one can ever decide on what type of place they'd like to go to.
I love it when they have the fresh stations. They switch it around often, but I have seen a taco as well as greek station, with a cook manning it and helping you dress your plate or heats up your pita or taco. Shaweet.
They also have pretty good, yet kind of bland Chinese food. They didn't used to have condiments, including ketchup and soy sauce, but they've remedied that now.
The desserts are always hit or miss. Maybe it's because I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I never go gaga over the desserts.
The price is pretty expensive, and if you happen to go on a special night, like a holiday, they jack up the price a lot. Best to go during the week for dinner. -
Review from Vincci L.
1/26/2010 2 photos
Have I been spoiled by the countless Vegas buffets that, this one just can't compare?!
We came here on a weekday night. Located within the River Rock Hotel, the Buffet has been renovated, with a much larger space, and many more tables. It's a nice atmosphere, overlooking the water and you can even see the Canada Line. (Well, basically one of the Canada Line stations does stop at the River Rock Casino.)
Price for adults are $21.95. The breakdown: salads, entrees, desserts. Pop, tea and coffee are included but juices are not. Salads-your typical salads-romaine, mixed greens, spinach, pea shoots. There's different dressings, freshly grated parmasean, croutons, and bacon bits. Some unique items-orzo salad, and the couscous salad. They also have potato salad, a pasta salad, and a corn salad, which was essentially just corn tossed with some italian dressing. Salads are overall good, veggies are fresh and chilled just at the right temperature. Various buns and flatbread is also available.
There's a fresh sushi station in which salmon and tuna rolls, california rolls, and this other roll with baby shrimp. The sushi was actually pretty good, the rice was done right, and the ingredients were fresh. I even asked the sushi chef to make me a custom roll of avocado and shrimp, and she was very willing to do it, and made it into a cone!
Hot foods: half of this section consisted of Asian food. These consisted of stir frys of different types, a black bean sauce with beef and bean, a sweet and sour chicken, chow mein, fried rice, spring rolls, samosa. These looked a bit oily so I didn't take any of it. They also had soups-chicken gumbo and a butternut squash soup. Perhaps it's because there's no one really monitoring the food once it's out, but the sides of the pans were dry (so were the sauces), and the soup looked a bit chunky (probably from sitting there since the beginning of dinner service.) They have a freshly sliced roast beef section, but the meat just looked too bloody for me to consume. Pastas-a pesto one and another with a cream sauce was available. These didn't taste too bad. Salmon, mashed potatoes, and this other dish which looked like pork bits in an omlette was also available.
Dessert was probably the best part of the meal. They had a chocolate fountain, with various fruits accompanying it. Creme caramel, assorted cakes (chocolate mousse,strawberry), cookies, cream puffs, and a couple of sugar free desserts were available. Quite a selection, and I was impressed with the quality of the desserts.
Service was ok considering that night it wasn't too busy. Our water and drinks were constantly refilled, and plates were taken away accordingly. Overall, an ok experience. For the price, I would rather go somewhere else for a sit down dinner instead. I'm saving the buffets for my next Vegas trip. -
Review from Graeme W.
Richmond, BC
2/22/2011
Giving River Rock a passing grade for this buffet because there are "not many buffets in the GVR" shouldn't fly. Crap food is still crap food, no? And comparing this to Vegas is simply unfair. River Rock is a wanna-be casino anyways that doesn't even serve complimentary drinks and has no club (Lulu's lounge, puleeze).
But I guess it gets the "It's better than nothing" award. Anyways...
The bacon was disgusting and dry, the pancakes and French toast were out of a box, the eggs were from a liquid carton and the hashbrowns were terribly oily and rubbery.
The only good thing this $15 breakfast buffet had going for itself was some fresh cut fruits, basic cheese platter, and fresh toast-it-yourself bread, and a Minute Maid juice machine.
If you don't care about your health this place can fill you up with artery clogging crap.
If you don't care about money you can drink juice and eat fruit, cheese, and toast for $15. -
Review from Roanna Z.
9/6/2009 1 photo
The buffet would be a good choice for people with family in town and bonus if they like casino's.
The decor is quite nice actually, and I kind of thought we would be in for a treat. It is after all, in a nice hotel (yes with a large casino in the lobby !)
The casino freaks me out, but that's just me. We were there for a show in the theatre.
We approached the reception for the buffet, and there was a large spinning wheel with prizes marked on it. Discounts on your meal, (which you pay in advance for), and prizes. I thought, "well, it's part of the theme" so, okay. Not really, it's more like a warning! LoL
The food was pretty good, with a LOT of choice. Hot specials, a whole Chinese buffet bar, a Salad bar, and of course a desert bar. (-at which I could eat only a marshmallow), because it's all cakes and pies and a milk chocolate fountain...) sad but true. They actually have some Sugar free deserts, which is really nice, and shows that their client base would be more the over sized, diabetic type than a gluten or dairy free individual like myself.
Unfortunately it's the service staff that I was least impressed with. The floor manager was okay though.
Would I return? Yes, as long as I was in the mood for something akin to the cafeteria at Ikea in atmosphere.
Over all it was not a good Birthday choice for my dear, but the food was good and there's nothing like a good "troughing" once in a while. -
Review from MnM M.
11/24/2009
The line up for the hot items is nuts, you're literally in line for 15 minutes. The choice of food is OK. The prime rib is really good and so is the Filipino roasted pig. The desserts SUCK! It wasn't fresh...so sad cause I saved all my calories for OK desserts :(
Compared to the buffets in California and in Las Vegas, this just doesn't compare...but pretty good for Vancouver.
The Casino is pretty but doesn't give true excitement like Las Vegas. It's pretty convenient for out of towners from YVR to the casino since the Sky train has a drop off in front of the casino. This place will be busy for the upcoming Olympics in Feb! :) -
Review from Larry L.
Vancouver, BC
8/1/2010
Ate there this morning at 11:30am sharp, when it opens for lunch. It was pretty good, but I was disappointed that they only had one roast beef and neither a bird nor a pork etc..
Pricey for a casino, but well worth it if you like shrimp and crab legs (which I don't).
Ambience is good, because of the floor to ceiling windows, and service is spot on. However, the floorplan was much like a cafeteria and nondescript compared with the rest of the beautiful resort.
3.5 stars because I'm in a good mood. -
Review from Noa G.
Vancouver, BC
11/25/2009
Why is everyone hating on the buffet? Actually, I found it pretty great for veggies like me (lots of salads, lots of mashed potatoes!). And even though - at $30 - it was a little pricey for a small (and picky) eater, I made sure my boyfriend went back for second, third and - yes - fourth helpings to render the $60 we spent in total worth it.
The dessert line was pretty picked over by the time we got there (with no signs of being replenished at 10 o'clock at night), but we were so stuffed after dinner it wasn't a biggie.
(OK, so I hit it big at the roulette table down in the casino after we ate - but I swear that didn't colour my review of the restaurant in any way!) -
Review from David L.
1/31/2010
This is a decent buffet which is almost similar to some smaller Casino buffet's in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. The Buffet at River Rock ain't a Wynn Buffet or Bellagio so you will not find Alaskan King crabs or lobsters but the food is clean and safe. The reason why I'm saying about cleaniness is due to the fact that I became sick after eating at Eagles Buffet at Talalip Casino in Washington State. This has to be the most pleasant Casino buffets due to the fact that smoking is not permitted inside the Casino.
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Review from T M.
Burnaby, BC
11/9/2009
First of all, I have to say that I secretly love buffets. Imagine going back for more and more. Just like family dinners at home except I don't have to help with the clean up.
The food is pretty good, for a buffet. (I've been to really scary ones where you know the food is shoved into some fridge and re-served until it's finished.)
Huge selection of fresh salads, entrees and sides. The roast beef was perfect (I could still hear the faint moo-ing). I loved the roast beets and turnips. There were a lot of different desserts to choose from, too. I'd have to say that they left me slightly disappointed. I love desserts and none of the River Rock's offerings made any impression on me.
Unlike Roanna, we received pretty good service. The wait staff were very friendly and made sure we were looked after ...drinks came quickly, empty plates cleared. However, we went during the week. I'm sure they get really busy on weekends.
Overall, I enjoyed eating there.
