Unexpectedly Delicious: San Diego Casino Food

Over the years, casinos have transformed from gambling halls and hotels to robust, full-service entertainment facilities; modern Vegas-style casino resorts that include spas, concert venues, shopping outlets and top-notch restaurants are becoming the standard across San Diego county. The latter are becoming known for great food and service in their own right, and these days, going to casinos to eat is just as alluring as going there to gamble.

San Diego is lucky to have a whole slew of amazing Vegas-style casino resorts, many with a half-dozen or more restaurants on-site and often serving some of the best ethnic and new American cuisine to be found anywhere in the area. Chances are there's one of these casinos a short drive from anyone's doorstep, making a casino dinner date an effortless endeavor. And once dinner's over, these adult playgrounds have so much more to offer under their roofs.

Discover a couple of area casino resorts known as much for their food as for their Sin-City amenities.

Pala Casino Resort Spa in Pala
One word for this place is BIG. Recently completing a $100 million renovation, Pala Casino is 650,000-square-feet of casino goodness with a larger footprint than any casino on the Vegas Strip. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture, Pala sits on the edge of the Palomar Mountains just outside of Temecula. Oceanside and Encinitas residents need only to hop in the car for a five minute drive to reach this entertainment monstrosity, while San Diegans need only to take a quick jump up the I-15. Pala has 2,000 machines, more than 70 gaming tables, The Starlight Theater for shows, 500+ deluxe hotel rooms and 10 different restaurants to choose from.

Of those, Pala's Choices Buffet gets the most attention. Its name might mislead the uneducated: the place could easily be called Uber-Buffet or "Buffet That Stretches Beyond The Horizon." Choices is a parking-lot sized, 20,000-square-foot dining area that's less a buffet and more like a half-dozen restaurants rolled into one space. Inside are piles and piles of amazing seafood, salad, burgers, steaks, salads, food from Italy, Mexico and Asia, and tons of mouth-watering desserts. Choices does brunch, lunch and dinner, seats more than 600 people and is very reasonably priced from $12-25 per person.

While Choices tends to be Pala's most famous eatery, Mama's Cucina Italiana comes in a close second. Chef Luciano Cibelli is recognized as one of San Diego area's finest Italian chefs, and the restaurant makes its own pasta on-site and cooks with wood-fired ovens.

Then, there are eight other places. The Oak Room is a steakhouse that serves top-notch surf and turf. Noodles serves traditional dishes from China, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand, and is open as late as 4 a.m. Then there's the Mexican restaurant called Amigo's, Sushi Sake and Pala Cafe, which all spill out onto the outdoor Pala Terrace overlooking the Palomar Mountains.

Rounding out the selections are a deli, poolside cafe and bar, and a coffee shop, all serving excellent food and drink no matter what corner of Pala you might be in. Throw in Vegas-style hospitality and all the other amenities under the huge roof, and it's easy to head to Pala for dinner and never want to return home. For more information including restaurant menus and hours, visit Palacasino.com.

Valley View Casino and Hotel in Valley Center
South of Pala and outside of Escondido, Valley View Casino just added "Hotel" to its name. Their brand new on-site hotel overlooks the breathtaking (but unfortunately named) Hellhole Canyon Preserve. Valley View has more than 2,000 gaming machines, scores of table games, The Main Stage Bar and the Valley View Luxury Line, which shuttles casino-goers across Southern California for very easy access to this newly revamped venue.

Ask anyone who's eaten at Valley View's seven restaurants what the dining experience is like, and the first thing you'll probably hear is "FREE LOBSTER!!" Visitors who sign up for the Valley View Player's Club card (membership is free) are immediately treated to a free lobster buffet, and this famous guarantee alone has people running from the hills to the casino. This isn't any old lobster; The Buffet at Valley View is consistently named "Best Casino Buffet" by local and national publications alike, and its seafood table alone is 18 feet long.

An alternative to The Buffet is Valley View's Black and Blue, a contemporary American steakhouse with the country's only "Dining for Dollars" game, where patrons can gamble on a free surf and turf dinner right there at their own table. Stix is a brand new, Asian-inspired noodle bar that doubles as a sushi bar for those wanting a taste of the Orient. BLD's restaurant serves breakfast all day along with sandwiches, salads, Asian and Italian fare. There's also a coffee shop and homemade ice cream joint for post-dinner treats.

Like Pala, Valley View's a great place for the indecisive; with several different options to choose from, not to mention the amazing buffet, no one's going to leave Valley View saying, "They just didn't have what I was looking for." For more information, visit Valleyviewcasino.com.

Vegas-style eateries not only give San Diegans great food, but four-star service not found at traditional restaurants. Since they have so many amenities on-site, they also serve as mini-neighborhoods with plenty of ways to play after dinner, without the hassle of more driving and long lines. For the next dinner date, consider doing it San Diego-Sin City style.

Discover more San Diego casinos and follow our Entertainment blog for more tips and trends.