Page 12 - June 2002 • Southern California Gaming Guide

THE SAN DIEGO GAMING GUIDE
Golden Grill at Golden Acorn Casino
Fby Lucky St. John
orty- ve minutes east of San Diego, Highway 8 cuts through the hills. Amid granite boulders and the 4,000-foot Laguna summits, Golden Acorn Casino sits high on a hill. Just off the new Crestwood Road exit, the Acorn is San
Diego’s newest casino. Twenty- ve minutes east of Alpine, it is a rewarding desti- nation, not only for the friendly atmosphere of the gaming, but for the relaxed and tasty treats of its 24-hour restaurant, the Golden Grill.
The restaurant recently received its beer and wine license and is complemented by a full bar, the Del Oro Lounge, next to the restaurant. In the restaurant, a draft beer costs only $1.75 and wine is $3.25 to $3.50 a glass depending on your choice. The casino and restaurant are owned and operated by the Campo Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
pizza, sandwiches, cappuccino and speciality desserts can be purchased.
There is a strong variety of items available in four favor- ite cuisine categories: Asian, American; Mexican and Italian.
We drove out on a golden Friday afternoon and selected grilled Potstickers as an appetizer—$5.99 for a generous serving that was crisp and light. We also
chicken-fried steak and eggs, huevos rancheros, and pork chops and eggs, at $8.99, the most expensive item on the breakfast menu. The specials all come with hash browns and choice of toast or biscuits. For lighter appetites, there is a breakfast a la carte menu at modest prices ranging from $1.50 to $4.00 for the ham steak.
A specialty we missed but will look forward to next time is the Tuesday and Thursday T-Bone Steak Special served from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. That special includes a 14-oz. T-Bone steak, baked potato, vegetables, and a dinner salad, all foronly$6.99.
The service was friendly and excellent. We recommend the Golden Grill for the whole family, any time of the day, whether you are looking for a light snack or a hearty meal. There is enough variety here to satisfy the most loyal frequent Golden Acorn guest.
Open 24 hours. Call 619-838-6000 for information.
The Golden Grill ful lls
its guests’ wishes in all ways.
All menu items are served
around-the-clock and there
is a full breakfast, lunch and
dinner menu. Service was
lightning speed for us—a
mere 15 minutes from order to steaming entree.
There are all sizes and portions available to please the casual snacker or the hungry family interested in a large meal. Appetizers, soup, salads and sandwiches are modestly priced and can be ordered separately. In addition, at the entrance of the restaurant there is a counter where a la carte
had Kung Pao Chicken, which came with steamed rice ($9.99). Our other dish was Shrimp Scampi ($12.99). Well- avored, HUGE shrimp in a garlic wine sauce. This
was the second most expensive item on the menu, with only pan-seared sea bass and NY Strip steak going for $1 more at $13.99. We chose a house Merlot, which was a surprisingly good quality. Most salads and sandwiches are $2.99 to $7.99, with the latter being good-sized meals.
There is a full breakfast menu with a wide variety of omelet xings and several he-man breakfasts such as
“We recommend the Golden Grill for the whole family, any time of the day, whether you are looking foralightsnack,oraheartymeal.”
Page 12 June 2002
Column: Dining Review