Bistro Mariposa

What an experience! The food was delicious, service was efficient, and pleasant. It was an upscale restaurant and the prices well appropriately selected for the meal. The blue corn beef tacos were a little spicy and sweet. The pork tacos were savory, and both the pork and beef were cooked to perfection! Both salsas were delicious, I even started to mix them together to make a 3rd salsa that was also delicious! Over this was a great way to celebrate a birthday in Blackhawk and a must dine at restaurant. Make sure to make your reservations, it is quick and easy to do.

Fancy delicious Mexican restaurant inside Monarch casino. Everything was delicious minus the fried plantains. It was extra hard to bite on. The wine bone marrow dipping sauce with the Prime Rib tomahawk is perfect!

This is hands down the best Mexican food I have ever had! Currently, on Wednesday’s they do half off some appetizers and drinks!!! Everything is delish including the amazing Sangria they just added to their cocktails~ hope you take the beautiful drive up (or down) the canyon - whether you gamble or not… wether you do a day trip or stay the night- in my opinion… it is soo worth the trip! Also both the ambiance and the customer service is amazing!!!

TJ and all the staff are very pleasant to be around. Every time we stay at the Monarch we always come here to eat. Every year or so they change the menu. I love the coconut ceviche! The atmosphere is fun and intimate. Love the music!! Prices are high but its worth every penny.

Frequent visitor to Monarch and Mariposa. However, last nite’s visit (Sat) left me with one thought “victim of their own success”. Reservations are a must at end of week. I sadly didn’t have one. Wait was over an hour, even for bar seating, despite fully 25% of tables empty or “reserved” and plenty of staff running around chaotically. Seated at bar; largely ignored by bartenders busy feeding cocktails to three large tables. No chips and salsa offered; not even to the two other couples seated at bar. They certainly took care of the larger parties. Enjoyed the tacos, but drink refills and check-ins didn’t happen. I know they get busy, but this lack of service was deplorable. I guess if you have a large, expensive party, they will do everything for you; party of two? Appears the casino floor isn’t the only place where you need luck.

The food at Bistro Mariposa was really good, everything was perfectly cooked and delicious. Unfortunately, the overall experience at the hotel was pretty mid, mainly because of the manager, Jose. We were seated next to a very large party (around 15 people), and when we politely asked to move tables, he told us we could move the stuff ourselves and said Saturdays are crazy. I understand it can be busy, but there were plenty of open tables, and we still ended up having to move everything on our own. Having a larger party nearby shouldn’t mean we’re treated poorly. Huge shoutout to our server TJ, he was AMAZING. He helped us move everything, checked in multiple times to make sure we were comfortable, and truly turned our experience around after the awkward interaction with the manager. TJ made the night 10 times better. Thank you, TJ!

Fresh squeezed lime margaritas and the best shrimp I've ever had. Go on Wednesday for 50% off happy hour all day.

There is a very nice Latin-Mexican cuisine vibe happening here. We went there as they were closing that's why the place looked pretty empty. Otherwise the food was good but not anything that blew my mind. The cocktails were solid and the atmosphere was definitely modern with a clean look. It's nice to know that when staying at the hotel or when gambling there is a place like this where you can go and unwind for the evening. * Extra bonus. I have to say that they have a killer all day happy hour on Wednesdays which is when we were there. All appetizers and drinks are half off. Yeah, you can't beat that peeps. If I'm back at Monarch I will probably be back there.

The service was great, the food was amazing and the ambiance was delightful! Our service was quick, the food was so tasty and a good amount. Price was very good.

We had a great experience this past Friday. Our server, Catherine B., was super helpful with going through the menu with us - patient, friendly, and professional. I loved the modern/trendy design of the restaurant. As far as the food, everything we had was delicious - 10/10! The queso fundido was giant and had a great flavor profile - the mushrooms were sooooo good! My only recommendation would be a pair of little food scissors because it had a crazy cheese pull. We shared the short rib special and charbroiled carne asada - great flavors and cooked to perfection. For dessert, we had the manzana. Highly recommend. It was so interesting - basically a cooked apple with a tequila candied shell and some amazing fried ice cream. I would definitely return next time we visit Black Hawk. Little tidbits - we started with complimentary chips and salsa and ended with complimentary cookies with the check.

This place is unique and provides great service. There's one of seating and the decor is beautiful. It's a great place for date night and the food is good. If your looking to have a nice dinner, this is the place to go

This is a beautiful restaurant located in the Monarch. They have a wonderful happy hour on Wednesday where portions of the menu are half off. Tons of potential but the place can be hit or miss. We've gone 3 times and found a few items were pretty inconsistent. One visit we loved the chili Relleno. The last visit and it was awful and shell overcooked and inedible. Beware on the one, all the drinks have been delicious. The great : Smokey Paloma Jalapeño marg Yuka fritas Chips and green salsa Tacos The bad: Chili Relleno (depends on the chef, the one with the hard shell is bad. Mariposa Salad - hard and incredibly difficult to chew. Oysters - way overly salted In the end, I give it 4 stars because we will be back again for the fabulous drinks , tacos and chips & salsa, and the excellent service.

Fantastic service and food. The servers and cooks were friendly, smiling, and welcoming. The decor was great and there was live music. We ordered the duck empanadas with plum sauce, prime carne asada tacos, and seafood enchiladas. I have zero complaints. Its underrated.

The service from Cadie was wonderful! We were in on a slow Thursday night with a big group but had a fabulous time! The drinks were flowing and we really enjoyed the espresso martini's especially. The blood orange marg needs a little less salt or no salt so it wasn't my favorite. Each of us shared fajitas which was a great move since it was a lot of food. It wasn't the easiest to find, so when you step off the elevator on the 3rd floor, follow to the right and it's all the way in the back.

The food was amazing, the service was great, and the ambiance was outstanding. Zero complaints. Five stars. It's a must visit!

Nice restaurant! Situated on the third floor of the hotel casino, it is an handsome spot for a meal. Upon entering you will see the kitchen as chef prepare dishes. The hostess greets you and seats you. They take reservations but we walked in after a day scouring the mountains. They have a lot of traditional dishes paired with takes on others. It was hard to choose but I went with the lobster tacos and my sister the shrimp but we shared. So, so good! The waiter was helpful, poised and pleasant. They have specials and the Bass was tempting, but the tacos were outstanding. I ate every bite. Satisfied for sure memorable and so much more to try!

The husband and I decided to bring his mom up for the night of fun. She looked over the menu and picked things that caught her eye. This was a to go order. To start chips & salsa- like I said safe. Not spicy for us but not bad. Next up a salad -( Ensalada a la Parrrilla). This was a miss. We didn't even get half of the ingredients in the salad. Total waste of money. $14 Last was the Posole de Pollo. My mother in- law really enjoyed it. She said the portions were more than enough and as for the taste it was a 4.5. On more than one occasion she said she had whole garlic and liked the chicken and squash.

I would give this place any amount of stars if I was able to actually get in the establishment. To start, I was given vouchers for my birthday stay which they were not open those days. So we came back. Once we entered, the hostess was not about it, despite being open for another hour and a half. We asked to sit and the bar and were told she needed to talk to the manager, to which he said no, despite patrons sitting there. So we left and will not be returning. Fortunately because of this we were able to find our new favorite eatery in Black Hawk, JKQ Barbecue!

Came here for a birthday dinner and we couldn't have asked for a better experience! We were able to be seated in a private room with a TV. Our server was Deysi and they gave a very thorough run down of the menu and how to use the tablet. They were attentive and checked in on us and refilled our water frequently Given that this restaurant is inside a casino, the food was pretty good and decently priced. Portions of many of the entrees are huge and can definitely be shared. For dinner, they bring out a basket of blue corn chips and 2 salsas - a red, smoky salsa and a green salsa. PESCADO FRITO - fried whole fish without the head. Not sure what kind of fish it is but it was big and fried quite nicely. Skin was crispy and the meat was soft. Came with a side of Saffron rice and black beans. The fish was so bland though. Looks like there was a bit of sauce on the plate for it but it was definitely not enough.Paired with chimichurri or the salsas that came with the chips made it a lot better All my friends enjoyed their dishes as well. Definitely recommend if you're looking for some good eats while at Black Hawk

The oysters are the only reason this spot is getting three stars from me. They were hands down the star of the show and packed great flavor. The service was..odd. We were some of the only guests in the restaurant and it was well before closing time and it took forever for anyone to even greet us. It was very awkward experience. We ordered guac, oysters, and lobster tacos. The guac was fine but the chicharrons served with it was hard as rock. We requested more tortilla chips to eat it with and that was edible. The oysters were truly delish. They have east coast and west coast oyster to choose from and we went with east coast! The lobster tacos were truly terrible. The "lobster" was a joke. There was maybe two or three small slivers of it and they were super chewy. I did not finish the plate. I alerted the server and chef to this and no remedy was provided nor was it removed from the final bill.

Our server was amazing, but we thought the food was just so, so. Maybe we didn't try the right things. Drinks were very good though. We were really hoping the queso would be good, but it was soooo thick. Like basically cheese stick texture. You couldn't just dip your chip in it, you had to use a fork. Maybe this is typical but we were not expecting it.

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT! Such a great time every time! Great service yesterday from Karan, thank you! Attentive service, delicious high quality steak/fajitas, delicious chips, salsa and queso. Highly recommend!

We were looking for a more low key place to get dinner when we were staying at the Monarch and we sure found it! The decor is beautiful and felt very open and not cramped. We tried the Chile relleno and the fajita plate and were equally blown away by both. The relleno had the perfect amount of crisp and flavor. We will absolutely be back!!

Enjoyed tacos and margs here on Friday night. I had made a reservation, but honestly we could have just walked in. We had a cushioned corner bench that was very cozy for our date night. Our server (Colin?) was very attentive and informative. I loved the digital menus on the table- lots of pictures & descriptions for food & drink. Chose a blood orange margarita (omg it was so smooth & tasty & well balanced) and I liked my shrimp tacos (pictured) too. Kudos to the manager for walking around & checking in at each table- love that!

My other half and I had the pleasure of dining at Bistro Mariposa recently for some apps and drinks and our minds are BLOWN! This place (and Monarch Casino in general) just completely changed my mind on casino hotels/restaurants/Black Hawk vibes. First, this space is just GORGEOUS and even though we didn't get into the entrees, I have NO DOUBT that the rest of the menu is just as phenomenal. Bistro Mariposa is serving up elevated Latin cuisine. It's tacos and queso and guacamole, all the usual suspects, but with a twist that you never knew you needed! Some of our faves below: 1) Chips and Salsa- I will very likely never highlight a complimentary salsa again, but they serve two here: a smoky red salsa and a green tomatillo version. Both are delicious, but that smoky red one was my fave! Smoky, thick (I'm not a fan of watery salsas that do nothing but make your chips wet), and so flavorful. The warm blue corn tortilla chips are a nice touch too! See? An unexpected, but much appreciated twist. 2) Queso Fundido - this is hands down the best queso I've ever had! They start with a wild mushroom bechamel, add hatch chile, spanish chorizo, porcini dust. The mushroom flavor is mild, but absolutely comes through and I am craving this again now! 3) Guacamole - fresh made and chunky like I like it, but they serve it up with chicharron which is just genius. Their Fry Bread Esquites and Carne Asada Tacos were also wonderful. And we loved our Smoky Paloma and Jalamango cocktails. They also have some AMAZING sounding desserts on the menu and we HAD to take home their Cajeta - goat milk cheesecake with mango ice cream, white chocolate crumble and lace cookie - you guessed it: some of the best cheesecake I've ever had. Bistro Mariposa was an absolutely surprising experience I did not expect. Chef Austin and the rest of the staff were wonderful. A special shout out to our server Bulut who took such great care of us! If you find yourself at Black Hawk (or even just driving west on I70), you need to stop in here!

We met some new friends here for dinner. The food was tasty but servings were small. The real problem was the music. They had a three person band who played well but was so loud you couldn't hear the person right next to you. There was no conversation that could happen because of it. The waiter couldn't hear what we were ordering either. He said he would ask them to turn it down and I believe he did but we didn't notice a difference.

The food here is amazing!! My husband and I attended a birthday party here and we had the tacos chicken Al pastor!! Delicious!! The restaurant is so beautiful and just a stones throw away from the casino!! Service was good!! The only thing I would say is that it is quite expensive but worth it and it took a little longer than expected for the food to come out, but our birthday girl was happy so that was all that mattered!!!!

Great food! Tastes even better than the pictures look. Carne Asada meat was some of the most tender and flavorful I have ever had!!! The best part of our dining experience was the Waiter, Dave. He was absolutely wonderful, helpful, and quick. He made the meal even better!!! Hopefully Bistro MARIPOSA knows what a great employee they have!!! Give that man a raise!!! Manager was nice also.

I don't typically go to Black Hawk for fine dining. However, I have found a few places that are absolutely brilliant. I stayed at Monarch Casino and Spa simply because I could get a nice room for cheap during the week. Monarch has a few restaurants. One of them is the Bistro Meriposa and this place is outstanding in every category. The interior is quiet, warm, and inviting. It is a large space and during the week at least not very crowded. The wait staff is outstanding and fun. I ate there for two nights and on both nights was lucky enough to have Dercy (yes that is spelled correctly). She was knowledgeable, friendly, and fantastic. Everything that I ate at Meriposa was plated beautifully, arrived piping hot, and was delicious. I mean really really delicious. Even the chips and salsa were great. Chips were fantastic and you got two sauces, both very good. The first night I was there a bunch of stuff was half off, so I got an appetizer, the REPOLLO AHUMADO. Unbelievable. The main course was Pollo Asado. I mean look at the picture below. It was a work of art in both presentation and taste. The next night Dercy directed me to the CHAR-BROILED CARNE ASADA. Again, just look at the picture. Soooo good! Obviously, I loved everything about Bistro Mariposa. Highly recommended and outstanding.

We stumbled upon this gem while visiting the casinos. Blindly trying it out, we were very impressed! The food was spectacular and different. The ambiance of the restaurant was sexy, the staff was very friendly and professional. They were out of the oysters so the manager came to address us and apologize for the inconvenience. We look forward to returning and trying more items.

All I can say is HORRIBLE.....We frequent Monarch Casino several times a year. My husband and I love the casino and hotel but the Mariposa, supposed to be a mexican type of food offerings. We were there a couple of weeks ago and ordered queso. The queso was so thick and gooey, like they used the wrong cheese. We ordered fajitas and street tacos. The sides of tortillas and fixings did not come out with the fajitas and by the time the fixings were delivere, the meat was completely cold. The street tacos were cold on delivery. Will never go back there, also pretty pricey. Our favorite restaurant is the 24-7, always open, breakfast all day, good food.

This was such a delight for our girls get away last night! The food was fresh and delicious!!! Abbey our server was on point. Definitely WILL be back

Don't let the Bistro in the name fool you. Great restaurant with great decor, good music, Fantastic food and great service! We had the Carne Asada tacos, Yuca Frita, and Churros.. everything was so delicious! Will definitely be coming back every time I'm at Monarch for a Spa Day.

Would not recommend. Not good Mexican food at all. I think our waiter was sad we didn't order more but it was so bad. Everyone had stomach aches after and the pics on the iPad didn't even make the food look good.

Such a great addition to the Monarch. We have been several times, and last night the chef recommended a seafood stew, and boy am I glad he did! It was delicious, with tons of fresh seafood. Beautiful space and the staff is great.

Loved our meals and our service. The ambiance was nice and elegant. Our server was fabulous he took the time to show us the menu.

I went with a friend who was well known to the place they were very friendly and sever was expect yes I'd go there again ! Good food

Completely odd experience from start to finish. The restaurant is kinda hidden around the corner from the hostess stand. We were asked by the Russian hostess if we had reservations which we didn't and then she asked if we wanted to sit at the bar. We were looking for more of a secluded romantic experience so they sat us at a table in the middle back corner. We ordered a bunch of food and margaritas. The guacamole served with chicharrones that tasted terribly and the rice is really terrible, tasted like bleach. The margs were good, customer service was strange, but we found it interesting that the restaurant was practically empty and we were originally asked if we wanted to sit at the bar.. so just weird. Wouldn't come back. The margs and a few food items were ok, but overall pricey and not worth it.

Unique twist on Mexican/Latin cuisine. Do not miss out on the fry bread - I dream about it haha. A little pricey but it is in the Monarch casino so it's expected. Definitely will go back.

The food at Bistro Mariposa is amazing. I ordered the Costillas (ribs) and my husband ordered the Chile Relleno. The ribs fell off the bone and was really juicy. The only thing I would change is to ask them to go easy on the green sauce or put it on the side as it tended to overpower the whole meal. My husband's Chile Relleno was super crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. It was delicious. The best part of the meal was our service from Raoul. He was attentive and knowledgeable about the food. His hospitality was top notch. He made us feel at home. We also enjoyed the ambiance. It was cozy, relaxing, and romantic!

I had dined here previously with a group and it was great! The service and food were great. I took my husband back yesterday and the experience was awful. We got chips and salsa before even getting water. Then we go water and waited for someone to come back. She didn't ask if we wanted a drink or appetizer. She said what do you want to eat? I asked if we could start with drinks and appetizers and she put that order in. Then when she brought my drink, it was wrong, we got our appetizers and she never came back to see if we needed anything. After we were done with the appetizer she finally came back. We ordered an entree, when it came out, we got ghosted again! The food was decent, service terrible! And we were there at 5:15 so there were about 2 other tables in the entire restaurant

I hate to leave a poor review however this has been one of the most disappointing dining experiences. The food had little to no flavor - a little salt would've been appreciated. We had a party of 16 and only three people enjoyed their meals. The service was subpar, we were left waiting for extended periods of time.

Very pleasantly surprised by this place! Great food and awesome service. Would recommend for dinner or drinks if you find yourself in Blackhawk.

The food was AMAZING & so were the margaritas! We had the tacos & the bone in ribeye it was delicious!! The crab cake was also really good considering I don't eat seafood. We will definitely come back again for more!!!

Dave Ritt the server made our experience fantastic he was so welcoming, attentive, friendly and truly amplified our groups experience! Top tier service!

The food was sensational! We had the siete mares soup. It was a huge bowl full of fresh seafood, tons of scallops. Steak fajitas were very good. Oysters were delicious. Queso fundido was very good, would have liked for it to be served with tortillas instead of the chips. The whole fish was also very good. The salsa was so fresh and authentic. Blue corn chips seemed to be fried in house as they were warm and crispy. I ordered the squash but they brought sautéed mushrooms instead. They were still good, but not what I ordered. That was really the only hiccup. Everything was just perfect. We ate here two days in a row.

For the price, this place is ridiculous. First, service took forever and the place was not even busy. I specified that I was vegetarian, and I didn't want anchovies on my dish. It came out with anchovies, the chef came out and apologized (accidents happen and I totally get that). However, a bug crawled out of my new salad. I finally flagged down someone, showed them the bug, and they took it away. They said they would take the salad off of the bill. I was so grossed out I didn't want any more food and just wanted to leave. When our bill finally came (super slow service still). It had the salad on it. Needless to say, I was super disappointed and we will not be back. Waste of money.

Had a great experience with Rahul, very attentive and pleasant. Good food nice atmosphere and reasonable. Ill be back to be served well by Rahul!

We were intrigued by the menu and decided to take a short walk from our hotel to dine in bistro Mariposa. It was very much worth the short walk. Starting off with chips and salsa, they were fresh and very flavorful. We ordered various tacos and tapas. All were excellent and very filling. But more importantly the tequila and mixed drinks were superb. Trinity served us and was wonderful the entire night. John the manager came by and spoke with us briefly and was very welcoming. I love this place and when I'm back in town will come back and visit again. They've got lots of great ideas about specialty nights. I'd encourage everyone to visit this exquisite gem in Blackhawk.