Page 9 - March 2003 • Southern California Gaming Guide

From the glitzy and elegant casino resorts to the simple down-home country casinos, Southern Californians can be assured that before or after gambling, they will be able to experience some of the best
dining experiences around these parts. Buffets, restaurants, coffee shops, snack bars, delis, noodle shops, sushi bars, food courts with marquee fast foods, Bingo bars, and game-side dining are all offered at Southern California casinos.
And, lest we forget — the gambler’s delight — the cherry on top of the food and beverage director’s domain — the casino buffet! The buffet, that wonder of gastronomic excess, has been raised to an art form (both high and low) in Vegas, by offering themed extrava- ganzas t for kings, queens, pharaohs and emperors at pedestrian prices. Southern California casinos have fashioned their all-you-can-eat spectacles on legendary
Vegas buffets.
And while all buffets are not created equal, Southern
California casinos have amazing buffet offerings with a variety of fresh food in an exceptional array of dishes, and dazzling blend of styles, and always great value. Some are lavish in their abundance, some just plain good food (and always plenty of it). Wear comfortable clothes, bring a hearty appetite, and prepare to be impressed with some awesome food choices and fabulous prices.
A Celebration of Excess
WhenSouthernCaliforniacasinos rst opened, they offered incredible prices for their
buffet spreads (some
dinner buffets were $3.99!). On
weekends, buffet lines snake
through the waiting areas of thecasinos,butmenushavebeen
upgraded, and the value increased.
No where in Southern California can you nd buffets offering the range and number of fabulous food choices that casinos have. All of these meals are incredible bargains. Manyarefamily-friendlyandallareeasilyaccessible,usually
right off the casino oor.
By de nition, a buffet is a meal where guests
serve themselves from a variety of dishes set out on a table or sideboard. The all- you-eat casino-variety buffet caters to all tastes. In Southern California, there are Mexican, Chinese, Filipino and
Vietnamese buffet items alongside the obligatory and impressive carving stations,
and live-action stations, where cooks prepare made-to-order dishes with the air and aplomb of the chef celebrities of the Food Channel.
Of the nineteen casinos listed in the Southern California Gaming Guide directory (pages 12 – 13), thirteen casinos have buffets. Some casinos have designated buffet restaurants, while some hold buffets in their upscale restaurants. Some are state-of-the-art buffets, like the Ranch House Buffet at the new Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino. This 850-seat bright and beautiful
buffet is designed to take guests around the world with diverse stations presenting American, Mexican, Italian, Chinese and Mongolian cuisine, a western-inspired Rotisserie, a salad bar of a vegetarian’s dreams, and a dessert station that’s a feast
to the senses.
Sycuan Casino & Resort’s Paipa’s Oasis, a San
Diego County favorite, offers a fantastic variety of Asian dishes in their Asian station, plus Certi ed Angus BeefTM on their carving station. Food and Beverage Director, Donald Goss says Sycuan Casino serves fty tons of Certi ed Angus Beef a year to throngs at Paipa’s Oasis.
Check out our 2003 Southern California Casino Buffet Guide on the following page for buffet times, types and prices. Lunch buffets are always less expen- sive. Know that buffet waiting lines can be long (espe- cially on the weekend) so time your visit appropriately. Most casinos offer player’s club member discounts, or comps for buffets. Check with the casino’s player’s club.
A cautionary note: This guide’s information is subject to change. Casino chefs and food & beverage managers are constantly changing their menus. Also note that prices do not include tax or gratuity (yes, gratuity!). Children, when allowed in the casino (if they are allowed at all) pay full price at most casinos and the cut- off age varies. Are you ready to feast? Read on!
March 2003 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE Page 9