The price of $30.00 person is reasonable, especially if one considers the high quality of food and service. River cree buffet, kitchen buffet and bistro, kitchen. Floor-to-ceiling windows and a flat-screen TV are found in each modern room of the River Cree Resort & Casino. A microwave, fridge and coffee maker are also included. Among the River Cree Resort & Casino's 5 restaurants, Kitchen Buffet & Bistro offers a choice of world dishes made in front of guests.
All-you-can-eat crab for $25? You don’t have to ask me twice.
I love seafood and sometimes I get the worst cravings for crab that the imitation sticks just aren’t able to sate. So when my friend told me the River Cree’s Kitchen Buffet and Bistro had a seafood buffet on Tuesdays and Fridays, and that they offer all-you-can-eat crab legs for only $25, I figured we should probably check it out.
If you’re close to the Henday, it’s extremely easy to find, located just off of Whitemud East on the outskirts of Anthony Henday Drive.
I hadn’t been to the River Cree in years, but it didn’t seem like much had changed. We went on a Tuesday and, while the casino itself was steadily busy, Kitchen was completely empty for the first hour or so of our visit. Our waiter was friendly and very attentive (perhaps too much so, for a buffet-style restaurant), continuously checking on us for drink refills and taking away our dirty plates.
I’m always a bit wary of buffets, which have a tendency to offer old, bland food and very little actual variety (I exclude Pampa’s salad buffet from this, simply because it’s fantastic).
Kitchen, however, pleasantly surprised me. Everything seemed fresh and there were cooks/chefs on hand to refill anything that might be running low. Even the mussels were cooked regularly in a tangy tomato sauce, so that diners received them hot and freshly made.
The buffet’s offerings included:
River Cree Casino Buffet Hours
- Caesar Salad
- Pasta Salad
- Green Salad
- Olives
- Orange/Balsamic Salad
- Shrimp
- Smoked Fish
- Pickled Fish
- Mussels
- Parisienne Potatoes
- Tortellini
- Fish and Chips
- Beef Shank
- Gyoza
Smoked and Pickled Fish
While the majority of the buffet options were fairly decent – especially the Parisienne Potatoes and the Tortellini – the main draw, of course, was the crab legs. Served on a bed of ice, Kitchen had tubs full of moderately-sized legs filled with plenty of meat. I expected them to be tiny (Red Lobster-style), but they were a good size. And there were so many of them to go around!
Pair that with a tub of melted butter for the avid dippers, and you’ve got yourselves an enjoyable seafood meal.
I’m used to Chinatown crab – fried in dry spices and chili peppers and served piping hot – so cold crab legs aren’t my usual choice. Nevertheless, I was content. And I’ve never eaten so much crab in my life.
A word of warning – eating crab legs is inherently messy (which adds to the fun), but you’ll leave the restaurant reeking of seafood…especially when you crack open that one juicy piece and bits go flying everywhere. It’s satisfying, slightly barbaric, and immensely appetizing.
Seafood buffets aren’t the only thing offered by Kitchen Buffet and Bistro; the restaurant has a different buffet for every night of the week, including Prime Rib, Surf and Turf, Ribs and Chops, and their “Meat Extravaganza” (can’t offer any clues as to this, I’m afraid). They also have a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu, every item of which is reasonably priced.
I had a nice time and a really tasty meal at this restaurant, and would definitely return in the future when I’m in the mood for gobs and gobs of crab meat and a big ol’ side of melted butter. Mm.
River Cree Casino Events
Kitchen Buffet and Bistro
River Cree Casino
300 East Lapotac Blvd
Stony Plain Indian Reserve 135, AB T7X
(780) 484-2121