River Rock Casino – MMV Giveaway for The Buffet

By Kenneth Law, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

Modern Mix Vancouver was generously offered to partake and review the River Rock Casino and its buffet through the lens of a blogger who really isn’t into gambling.  The BC Lottery Corporation wants to convey the message that casinos are not just venues for gambling, but also offer a variety of entertainment options to attract wider audiences.  Recent brochures for the River Rock have been increasingly focused more towards its newly opened hotel, lounge and theater showings, various dining facilities and conference centers, broadening the scope with which their patrons can spend their time. I recently gave the River Rock’s casino and buffet a shot and left away very satisfied with the buffet, but had no desire to gamble any further.

The River Rock is the largest casino in BC and is well served by public transportation and ample parking space. Relatively newly built and opened since 2004, its interior décor, design and ambiance are comfortable and welcoming with nice touches of wood trim, and there are a plethora of slot machines and table games to fill the large space.

As a non-gambler by nature, being given a slot play credit meant I would quickly spin a few rounds to satiate my curiosity before cashing out. I was able to squeeze 20 minutes out of there and managed to only lose $10 and was still kept reasonably entertained with good company, but overall I would say the slots aren’t an “acquired taste” – you either find them fun or you don’t, and I am clearly in the latter half of that. Without the confidence to partake in table games either, the gambling aspect of my tour was short and did not particularly inspire me to go back again to gamble.

The buffet was a different story. Entrance to the restaurant is by way of a large curving staircase, and once you are inside you are meticulously (for buffet standards) taken care of by staff. Food quality was very acceptable with a variety of eastern and western cuisines; highlights included the Dungeness crab, seafood cioppino and the best chow mein I have ever had anywhere. With pacing I lasted 2 hours in there and went away very satisfied.

For the River Rock and the BCLC to better enhance the experience of those who do not necessarily or particularly enjoy gambling, offering entertaining packages that include the buffet, some theatre showings and perhaps some of the hotel’s spa offerings would have people excited to come to the casino, giving them reasons to tag along if their friends or partners were busily indulging themselves at a poker tournament or on a blackjack table. For the time being, one lucky reader will get to try out (or revisit) the buffet at the casino.  See below for contest details.

MMV Contest:  Modern Mix Vancouver is giving away a dining voucher for two at The Buffet at River Rock Casino.  Leave a comment below telling us who you’d bring with you to the buffet and why, if you won the prize.  A random winner will be chosen from a comments below. Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you’re a winner.  BC entries only please (how are you going to go to the buffet if you are far away?!). Contest ends on Sunday November 27th, 2011 (noon PST).

To up your odds (casino pun, ha ha) with additional entries, you can do the following things;

  • For a second entry: Follow @ModernMixVan on Twitter and tweet “I want to win a buffet meal for two @riverrockcasino from @ModernMixVan. http://bit.ly/tNDov1 RT to enter!
  • For a third entry: “Like” the Modern Mix Vancouver Page on Facebook and post on the wall “I want to win a buffet meal for two at River Rock Casino from Modern Mix Vancouver!

The Buffet @ River Rock on Urbanspoon

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69 Responses

  1. Would bring my lovely grandma, who turns 90 years old this December! she raves about the river rock buffet and would be ecstatic if we went!

  2. I would bring my boyfriend because we both love to eat and what better way to celebrate our anniversary, which is coming up, then at a buffet!

  3. I’d actually give both to my mom and dad to enjoy. Theyre both recently retired and live not too far off the Canadaline!

  4. I would bring my brother out for a night of dining at the River Rock. He’s the kindest brother in the world! He also loves eating buffet meals.

  5. i have a friend who does not have a lot of money and work is scarce for her, and she tries hard nonetheless. she often goes to the food bank daily to eat a meal. I would love to bring her to this abundant buffet so she can enjoy a delicious wonderful meal on me and on the river rock’s generosity in giving away this prize! 😉

  6. I would bring my son for a night of dining at the River Rock! His big appetite is perfectly suited for a buffet dinner!

  7. I would bring my significant other to the buffet to celebrate our upcoming 5.5 year anniversary! We’ve loved casino buffets in the States, and have been wanting to try out the buffet at River Rock.

  8. Would love to bring my mom here – haven’t had much mother-daughter time since I’ve been so busy with school and work =( . I probably see her just before she heads to bed!!! 🙁

  9. I would bring my husband of course. We both deserve a night out. Being parents of 4 children ages 7 and under can be exausting lol. We would probably take Transit seeing as we are in Surrey and would like to have a drink with dinner!! Thanks for the chance to win 🙂

  10. I’d bring my husband because we both love buffets and we haven’t experienced the River Rock Casino yet but heard great things about it!

  11. Hi!
    I’d love to bring my husband … we were married at the Casino and went to the buffet with friends, except that we were so busy, we never actually got to enjoy the food! Would love to go back and enjoy the buffet ourselves 🙂

  12. I would bring my boyfriend. We have been apart for 3 years but are finally living in the same city again.

  13. I would bring my boyfriend from Calgary. We’ve been together for 5 years now and only get to see each other every 2 months. We’ve stayed at the River rock Casino before and have been contemplating doing it again soon.

  14. Well I certainly wouldn’t bring a date! I would bring my daughter because that buffet is truly amazing and you can bet that I would eat enough food to kill a small horse. Nobody needs to see that – but my daughter, she knows her Mamma can pack it back!

  15. I would take my lovely girlfriend who is currently in nursing school. It is stressful, so anything to help take her mind off of things and relax would be much appreciated.

  16. I’d bring my husband! This would be a really nice chance for us to have a date night at the River Rock! 🙂

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