Martha’s Pick:

Ameristar Casino
2200 River Rd, Council Bluffs
Fare: Sunday Brunch Buffet
Cost: $21.99 each (DISCLAIMER: This brunch is normally $31.99 and we’re not sure why we got it for $10 less.)
Reservations: Not needed

Greetings, Eaters and Readers!

Here’s the thing – sometimes you just have to cram some food in your face – where ever and right where you are – to meet a deadline. And while that may or may not be the genesis for how we stumbled into March’s blog – what’s important is that we can finally check off another great Omaha/CB spot that we do, genuinely, hear random buzz about from time to time.

A while back, we were determined to check out the all-you-can-eat crab leg buffet – but that line was the longest line we’d seen in a while. So we tried again – this time, a recent Sunday – for the champagne brunch buffet.
The line was non-existent. It felt like maybe the city and the hotel guests were still waking up from a Saturday evening of…whatever. So we were ushered right in, sat, brought our starting beverages – and dug in.

Mimosas: Nothing too fancy here, but a mimosa is a mimosa right? They were easy to finish.

Biscuits: Hot and fresh! Plenty of moisture in these biscuits and full of buttery flavor.

French Toast: We all had a slice of the french toast. Sadly, it was rather bland and lukewarm. The strawberries and syrup helped a little, but not enough to finish it.

Breakfast Potatoes: These were less than to be desired. They were lukewarm at best and the potatoes didn’t have any seasoning.

Chicken Fried Steak: It was warm and a good-sized portion, but there were other, better meats on the line. A few bites was all we spent on this and then focused on the other yummy finds.

Spinach and Bacon Egg Bite: Exactly what you’d want it to be – warm, perfect sized and good flavor. Will grab two next time!

Breakfast Crepe Roll with Cream Filling: Delicious. Still warm, ooey-gooey in the right way. Light and sweet and savory all at once. Grab two of these, too!

Cheesy Grits: Still thinking back to our cheesy grit experience at Tupelo’s – adding a spoonful of these was a no-brainer. Maybe not as homemade/hand-crafted as Tupelo’s – but they hit the spot!

Mac n’ Cheese: If we weren’t so full, we would have more of the mac n’ cheese. Great flavor and very creamy.

Roll with Cinnamon Butter: These give Texas Roadhouse a run for their money. The buns were kept warm and had a soft, pillowy texture. And the cinnamon butter was sweet, creamy and the perfect compliment to the rolls.

Salad Bar: The toppings looked and tasted fresh. Nothing out of the ordinary but good, old-fashioned salad. The only wish was for the ranch to be zestier, it was rather bland.

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy: We probably had a heap of these more for research’s sake than anything else. From where we entered the buffet line, it was the first thing that greeted us. They could be a little thicker, heartier. But there are multiple gravy options along side multiple fried chicken options.

Scrambled Eggs: A breakfast buffet that does it’s job. If these aren’t your thing (they are probably the boil in a bag version, of course) consider a stop at the omelet bar and order your perfect egg!

Bacon: Is there such thing as “bad” bacon? If there is – it wasn’t found on this buffet.

Mixed Fruit: Looks were deceiving. This batch of fruit had an off-tasting preservative type of flavor to it. Not uncommon for mixed fruit at most restaurants. But one hoped!

Breakfast Pizza: Despite having just put out a fresh pie, this breakfast pizza wasn’t worth grabbing. It was bland (a running theme for a handful of items we tried). But let’s be honest, who can beat a slice from Casey’s?

Blueberry Muffin: Not great. The blueberries tasted artificial and it seemed they’re either previously frozen or just not made well.

Dumpling: A Chinese staple I was pleased to find! Maybe not top 10, but if you have a plateful of their Asian offerings – one or two of these is a must!

Crab Rangoon: We collectively agreed these were the best thing we tried! Maybe our expectations were low, but the filling was surprisingly good. And there was a fresh batch each time we went back for more.

Garlic Chicken: Not overwhelmingly garlicky – but tasted fresh and good flavor. Not dry or tough.

Bread Pudding (not pictured): I didn’t know how to walk away (as full as I was) without trying a couple spoonfuls of their bread pudding. If I go back to this buffet, I’ll be sure to save more room. It was warm, thick and good flavor. It’s a good mouthful to end your buffet visit.

Banana Bread: Not too bad. Just your standard banana bread, but not particularly homemade tasting.

Dream Bar: SO rich, but SO good. This bar seemed to have everything: milk chocolate, white chocolate, pecans, coconut, graham cracker … with lots of butter, sugar and sweetened condensed milk holding it all together.

Cheesecake: Classic cheesecake, no frills. It was fine, but the dream bar wins by a long shot.

Final Bites

When you go to a buffet, it’s a given to lower your expectations a bit. Most buffets are going for quantity and speed, not necessarily quality. Going in with this mindset, some food met our expectations and some exceeded them. Who knew Chinese food for breakfast would be among the best, most fresh cuisine at a brunch buffet? We’re just as surprised as you are on that one.

I imagine offering to take my parents sometime – or a random guest who would dig the casino and buffet vibe. We think getting there early as you can is key – everything on the line felt fresh and not picked over – the kind of buffet nobody enjoys.

Even if this wasn’t on our blog-radar until we realized how fast March was flying – it was an enjoyable surprise and it earned 2 forks up from me and my guest, and a sideways fork from Jaclyn. I’m pretty sure you could convince her to join you and find more pleasant bites that we didn’t even get to this time!

Cheers!
The Good Bite Gals

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