The Kitchen Buffet & Bistro

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.
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.

Thoroughly enjoyed Wednesday’s «Rib And Chops» night. The theme tonight was, you guessed it, BBQ Ribs and Lamb Chops.
Some highlights:
The tandoori chicken skewers were amazing. While not strictly tandoori – it had more of a satay, peanuty flavor – it was definitely the hightlight of the meal. I had about eight of those by the time the evening was done.
The German sausage was very good, it tasted pretty lean.
The ribs! Wow! They refreshed them constantly, and these were some of the best ribs I’ve had at a buffet outside of Vegas.
The crêpe station was a nice touch. They don’t actually cook the crepes from scratch, but they have these precooked crepes that they make in back, then an attendant cooks it for you on a skillet while you wait, with butter and brown sugar, throwing in a hefty portion of alcohol (I thought it was bourbon). When it’s done, you can put berry sauce, caramel, and whipped cream on top. Very delicious.
Also loved the fruit cake dessert served in individual glasses, and the crème brûlée. Though for the brulee, I wish it was served more like a standard brulee, with hardened sugar on the top.
What I didn’t like as much:
The lamb chops were a little fatty for my tastes, but others at the table enjoyed them. The perogies didn’t taste like much to me.
The verdict:
On the whole, definitely great value for the dollar. I got my money’s worth, that’s for sure. Would recommend!

Went on a Saturday night so it was the River Cree buffet. For $ 25 I was expecting a lot more choices. The food does taste good but not very much of a selection. This is on everything salads, entrees and dessert. The lines are kind of go which way you want to as there is no real way of knowing which way to start here and end here.
The smoke however in the casino is quite disgusting. I haven’t been in a smoke environment for many years and so glad we changed the laws for no smoking inside buildings in Alberta. Just finding the buffet and going through all the smoke was taunting.
They really need to work on their ventilation system to get rid of the smoke as you can look across the casino and see all the smoke lingering in the air ready for people to breath in and get second hand lung cancer.
I used to be a smoker and gamble very frequently in Vegas so it’s not like I hate all smokers or casinos but the ventilation really needs improvement, or the lack of ventilation system there. If you go to Vegas you can barely smell the smoke or have it cling on to your hair and clothes as the ventilation system is top notch and makes it very bearable to breath.

Hands down, best buffet in Edmonton.
Buffet food doesn’t get better than this. The difference between here and the other buffet’s is quality of food. Every dish seems to be made out of fresh and high quality produce. You don’t get questionably salad leaves. You don’t get eye-​brow raising meat. Best yet, you get to see the cooks cook infront of you the featured hot plates.
Salads are probably the only thing that doesn’t change as you get a good selection of garden greens, caesar, and a mixture of macaroni/​potatoe/​pea salads.
After that, depending on the day, is always changing. I recommend going on a prime rib night and a seafood night. I have yet to try NY Striploin night. But for $ 19.95, you honestly get more than what you pay for. Even non-​alcoholic drinks are included; I recommend getting fresh juice.
Then there’s the dessert bar which I always struggle to get to because i’m having meat sweats.
Waitresses are cleaning dishes in timely manner so it is nice to see that you are well taken care of.
Be sure to apply for the player’s club card in the casino (free) to get 10% off your meal (present it to the cashier).

The quality of the food is good and consistent. I have found the meats and fish are always cooked to the proper temperature. The main buffet line, the way it’s designed can cause a bottleneck when busy because it cannot accommodate two simultaneous lines.

I was here for the breakfast buffet (12.95) which is not to be confused with the breakfast brunch (24.95).
The décor and light was nice and the staff were very polite. The breakfast buffet had all the basics: omelet station, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, juice, fruit yogurt etc. It was all pretty average, I have no complaints. I would love to come back for brunch, they were setting up a killer dessert station when I left.

The Kitchen is one of the dining establishments at the River Cree Resort & Casino, located just outside of Edmonton’s city limits on the Enoch reserve. It is a large, open space with tables and booths, excellent lighting, and unassuming décor.
I won a gift certificate for the restaurant a while back, and decided to treat a couple of my friends to an evening out. We were all incredibly impressed with the buffet, which served a wide range of food with quality, style, and selection. I have never been to a buffet with such high class food. Starting with the salads, I enjoyed spring mix greens, wild rice with chicken, and an incredibly flavourful and unique turkey with pineapple salad, which was exactly as described: large chunks of turkey and pineapple brought together in a light, creamy dressing.
Next, was a selection of seafood such as crab legs, mussels, and smoked whitefish. The seafood was served ice cold, and looked very fresh. Due to dietary restrictions I only sampled the whitefish, which was delicious but would have been better had it been fully thawed before serving.
There was a bread service, roasted potatoes, vegetables, pasta dishes, and a chef’s station serving up stir-​fries. The final part of the buffet were the main courses, which on this evening included fried chicken in a sweet chili sauce, skirt steak in peppercorn sauce, a fish dish, and a jambalaya. The steak and chicken made the meal for me — both were excellent, with the sauces adding flavour without overwhelming.
Then came dessert. The desserts are in a separate area and include fresh fruit, cakes, and a hot dessert. You can accent your sweet treats with a variety of toppings such as whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and caramel. I sampled the black forest cake, brownies, strawberry shortcake, and pumpkin pie. Unlike the meager slivers served at most buffets, the pieces here were of substantial sizes. I did not care for the hot dessert, which was mincemeat, but someone else at my table enjoyed it.
A trip to The Kitchen is just a short drive and worth the trip. On a Saturday evening the buffet will cost you $ 19.95, and on most other nights it is only around $ 15. There is a lunch buffet available most days. Beverages cost extra. The coffee is excellent. I definitely hope to head here again.