Cripple Creek Casinos Use Distinct Dining To Attract Customers

Written By T.J. McBride on 07/27/2023 - Last Updated on July 31, 2023
Cripple Creek, CO, casinos feature unique dining options

Retail sports betting has been sluggish in Colorado. Casinos with or without sportsbooks simply can’t rely on significant dollars coming from wagering on sports.

At least two CO casinos in Cripple Creek are looking to attract customers through their taste buds. They have made unique dining options a top priority.

While their gaming floors bring in gamblers, the hope is their restaurants draw interest from foodies in search of a great meal.

Saltgrass Steakhouse now open at Cripple Creek

Colorado online sports betting is exploding, as the state boasts 20 online sportsbooks. Colorado retail sports betting isn’t fairing as well. Only around 1% to 3% of total sports wagers in Colorado are made in person at a sportsbook.

Cripple Creek has just one retail sportsbook despite several casinos. That sportsbook is at the Wildwood Hotel and Casino. As the resort transitions into the Golden Nugget after being purchased by Tilman Fertitta, the Houston billionaire is already adding one of his business entities to the property.

Saltgrass Steakhouse opened in mid-July at the casino. Fertitta’s hospitality branch, Landry’s Inc., owns the restaurant chain. The kitchen churns out burgers, chicken, pork chops, sandwiches, seafood, and, of course, steaks. It also boasts a 25-person private dining room for large parties.

Matt Andrighetti, general manager of Wildwood, told The Gazette he is excited to bring the popular steakhouse to the historic gambling town west of Colorado Springs.

“We are thrilled and honored to expand our dining options for the Cripple Creek
market. We look forward to introducing this Colorado Springs favorite to area residents and
visitors of our community.”

Saltgrass is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Breakfast is from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Golden Nugget will also bring changes to casino floor

The dining options aren’t the only changes coming to the soon-to-be Golden Nugget.

After purchasing the casino and hotel for $43 million, Fertitta Entertainment began renovating the casino. New carpeting, new tables, and new chairs will be added for comfort. The casino plans to offer 50 new slots including Black Diamond, Triple Jackpot Gems Deluxe, and Bao Zhu Zhou.

Out of all the amenities at the new Golden Nugget, the cherry on top will be Bar 46, which aims to be one of the best bars in Cripple Creek.

Of course, once the transformation is complete, customers will be able to enjoy the Golden Nugget 24K Select Club. It’s considered one of the best loyalty programs that provides rewards and comps to slots and table players.

The casino will also have a new Starbucks soon, which will also serve pastries, sandwiches, fruits, and other snacks.

Chamonix plans to follow suit with a fine-dining experience

Wildwood is not the only casino bringing unique dining to Cripple Creek.

Chamonix Hotel and Casino, which is still under construction, has hired chef Barry Dakake to open a restaurant in the new hotel. Dakake is known for running Barry’s Downtown Prime and N9NE Steakhouse in Las Vegas. He was named Chef of the Year in 2018 by Eater Vegas.

With Dakake at the helm, Chamonix aims to offer one of the best dining options in the state.

After projecting a mid-2023 opening, Chamonix now hopes to open by the end of the year. In a press release, Full House Resorts CEO Danuel R. Lee stated they are making substantial progress and set an open date of Dec. 26.

“On that day, we expect to open with a near-complete experience, with all three of our hotel towers, our new casino, fine-dining restaurant and parking garage. We look forward to welcoming our first guests to what we believe will be the most unique casino destination in Colorado.”

Chamonix is bringing the first luxury hotel rooms to Cripple Creek and plans to have a long list of amenities for guests to enjoy. Those include 300 four-star hotel rooms, VIP suites, a large casino floor, Dakake’s fine-dining restaurant, convention space, a rooftop pool, spa, and 300-car garage.

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T.J. McBride

T.J. McBride is a Denver-based writer and reporter with an extensive background in covering the NBA and Denver Nuggets. T.J. is Southern California native who provides news and analysis on the legal gambling industry across a number of Catena Media's regional US sites.

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