Kuchu's Restaurant
- located at Ute Mountain Casino -
3 Weeminuche Drive at Yellow Jacket
Towaoc, CO 81334
Phone: (970) 565-8800 - or - 1-800-258-8007
Fax: (970) 565-6553
Website: http://www.utemountaincasino.com/kuchus.html
Being the Memorial Day weekend, we decided to do something different. I had told Roy about how, since the renovation of Atlantic City in New Jersey, I had gone to the casinos there once a year until 1994. He had never been to a casino; Ute Mountain Casino was only about an hour away, so why not? The casino itself is small compared to any at Atlantic City, and I had to keep in mind that this was certainly not Atlantic City. Any staff we dealt with were friendly and helpful, and we quickly found a couple of slot machines to play on. The slot machines here are all controlled via buttons; oh, some have pull arms, but not many; and you won't hear the clinking of money falling as you win. Coins aren't used to play, and a ticket is dispensed when you cash out on a machine. I found it to be equal to playing a video game, and rather boring. Roy said it was ok, considering it was his first time at a casino, and then again, he plays video games on his computer, so he could relate to this type of play.
We had heard pro and con reviews about Kuchu's, so tried the lunch buffet...and wished we hadn't. Kuchu's interior reminds one of a school cafeteria with white walls, and someone resembling a "lunch lady" behind the buffet.
The spare ribs were very fatty with little meat; the crust on the chicken pot pie was like paste; the macaroni in the dish resembling "hamburger helper" was so overcooked, it dissolved in the mouth. The vegetables were swimming in a cloudy water with an oily sheen on top. The soup was thin and tasted canned. The "hot" food was barely warm, and had the taste of prefrozen products that had been sitting in the freezer for months. The saving grace of this awful meal was the mashed potatoes which were creamy and buttery. If you don't mind having all you can eat mashed potatoes for $9.95, and nothing else, you'll do fine.
Seriously, if you visit the casino, have fun; but if you want a good meal; go to one of the many restaurants in nearby Cortez, CO.
Mary Cokenour
