Chamonix Casino Hotel brings luxury vibe to remote, historic gambling town

By Malena Larsen

The remote mountain community of Cripple Creek sits at around 9,500 feet, with a population of just over 1,000 people. It’s known for its resident donkey herd, rich mining history, historic buildings, and more recently, a collection of casinos.

Cripple Creek’s casinos, which began opening after the state’s approval in 1990, are often found within small landmark buildings dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. However, on East Bennet Avenue, there’s a newer hotel and casino that looks like it was grabbed from a bustling cityscape and plopped down in the mountains.

Outside the nine-story Chamonix Casino Hotel, which opened in late 2023, there’s a bubbling fountain, a luxury jewelry store, and an entrance to 980 Prime, the hotel’s steakhouse.

The 980 Prime is led by chef Barry S. Dakake, who previously led Barry’s Downtown Prime and N9NE Steakhouse in Las Vegas, Nevada. Additionally, chef Dakake worked at the Aureole restaurant in New York, which earned numerous Michelin stars and James Beard Awards.

Dakake’s decision to come to Cripple Creek was heavily influenced by his relationship with Dan Lee, CEO of Full House Resorts, the company that owns Chamonix. Their shared success building restaurant brands in Las Vegas forged a mutual trust, leading them to take on this ambitious new venture together.

According to Chamonix’s website, 980 Prime promises to be one of the best restaurants in all of Colorado.

“Menu design is always dependent on what city you’re in,” Dakake shares.

In Cripple Creek, this means embracing local products and ingredients like bison, pork, and Palisade peaches when in season. The menu features a bison filet from Grass Run Farms in Greeley, alongside Colorado lamb chops with pine nut crust and rosemary red wine sauce, and an assortment of seafood and vegetarian options.

“I’m making fresh raviolo, fresh fettuccine, fresh potato gnocchi – all by hand,” Dakake describes. “We’re making everything fresh.”

To complement the food menu, 980 Prime boasts a sophisticated mixology program, including beverages like the Gold Rush Buffalo Trace with honey syrup and lemon juice and the Pine Peak Bacardi Superior with pineapple juice, lime juice and simple syrup.

Beyond these crafted cocktails, guests can also explore an extensive beer and wine list, along with a curated dessert menu to complete their meal.

980 Prime’s upscale dining experience brings a new dimension to Cripple Creek, a town defined by its charming quirks. A place where donkeys freely roam during Donkey Derby Days, bartenders greet locals by name, and the community’s roots are planted in its hardworking mining history.

For Chef Dakake, moving to this setting meant embracing a change in his own pace of life. Where Las Vegas operates at a constant hum, Cripple Creek brings a more relaxed rhythm.

“It’s just so peaceful, so calm up here,” he shares, envisioning Chamonix as a draw for visitors from Colorado Springs and the Front Range. “The goal is to get people from down there to come up here. I’m hoping that Chamonix does impact the community.”