Barona Casino Blog

By Jim Phillips, Executive Chef

It has been an exciting time here behind the stoves at Barona Casino.  Our talented culinary team has been working hard creating new dishes and special promotions to tempt your palate.  I hope you’ll visit us sometime soon to enjoy the menus we have created just for you!  Not only do I personally stand behind every dish but each of our restaurants offer menus at an incredible price and value.

Before I get into an overview of the restaurants, let me tell you about two exciting promotions we have going on.  The first is we are serving up New York Strip Steak & Eggs every Monday through Thursday.  This is a classic casino combination at a nostalgic price: $1.99 between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.  It is served in Sage Café and you can also order Steak & Eggs right to your table game or slot machine through our gameside dining.

And on Sundays we are now offering a Barona Champagne Brunch in the Italian Cucina from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.   It is only $19.99 per person or $24.99 if you’d like to enjoy the amazing selection of dishes with champagne.

Now…on to the restaurants.

Seasons Fresh Buffet, formerly known as The Ranch House Buffet, continues to serve seasonal selections alongside the daily internationally-inspired menu.  Guests can also enjoy a la carte dishes in a casual setting overlooking Barona’s beautiful valley and award-winning Barona Creek Golf Club at Sage Café.

If you’ve visited Barona recently, you’ve probably noticed that our steakhouse has moved into a bigger and more deluxe space right next to the new Italian Cucina and Seafood Plaza restaurants in the Barona Oaks Dining area.  If you haven’t been to the new steakhouse yet, I think you’ll find it is really a special place.  The design is sleek and modern and the steaks really sizzle!

Duncan Firth, the Chef de Cuisine, uses only top-quality hand-cut meats, fresh seafood and locally grown produce some handpicked from our very own organic chefs’ garden.  Many of the meats are also dry aged in-house to produce the moistest and most tender steaks possible.  Our wine list has also been acknowledged as one of the best in San Diego by Wine Enthusiast.  And, what’s a steakhouse without a martini?  We’ve got a list featuring classic to modern martinis and even a martini flight if you’d like to sample a few.

We’ve also opened an authentic Mexican restaurant in the space formerly occupied by the steakhouse.  El Rancho Grande is now dishing up authentic Mexican fare such as tamales, ceviche and carnitas.  We also offer festive specialty margaritas, as well as an extensive “cervezas” or beer list. “And for those who like to sip tequila straight up, the restaurant offers more than a dozen tequilas. The Blackjack Margarita in particular is one of my favorites.  Here’s a link to the recipe if you’d like to try it at home.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our Food Court where you can grab a quick cup of coffee, a slice of pizza or a taco from Rubios.  And, don’t forget Ho Wan which stirs up some of the best noodles you can twirl around a fork.