The casinos added celebrity kitchen concepts in place of shuttered buffets, constructed live entertainment venues and debuted high-end sports bars and bingo halls this year.
This year brought significant updates to casino properties across Southern California. Buffet spaces that were once shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic were revamped with sports bars and celebrity kitchen concepts.
One casino even opened up a brand new entertainment venue.
Here’s a look at some major developments that took place across Southern California casinos in 2022.
In early January, Agua Caliente Palm Springs added 360 Sports to its property. The sports bar concept replaced the Oasis Café, which remained shuttered after the COVID-19 pandemic caused the closures of multiple buffets across many Southern California casinos. The newly opened 360 Sports at the Palm Springs property is the third one added to the Agua Caliente Casinos owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
The Palm Springs version of 360 Sports features similar menu items to the other two locations, such as burgers, sandwiches, pizza, nachos and mozzarella sticks. It also includes large television screens that spotlight multiple sports broadcasts.
Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage and Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City have used the space to host e-sports video game tournaments and their sports programming.
360 Sports’ kitchen hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday. Its bar hours are 10 a.m.-midnight on Sundays, 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday.
In August, Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley View opened the first Hell’s Kitchen in California, which replaced the casino’s old buffet. The restaurant is the celebrity kitchen concept of British chef Gordon Ramsay. The space is full of callbacks to Ramsay’s television competition show, with details like the iconic pitchfork logo displayed throughout the restaurant.
Some menu items include pan-seared scallops, wagyu meatballs and beef Wellington, which are also seen on the show. The restaurant has a room dedicated to red wines, a separate display of white wines and a cocktail bar serving specialty drinks. Hell’s Kitchen is open 4-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 4-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Reservations are required via harrahssocal.com.
On Monday, Dec. 19, the casino opened Salt & Fin, an upscale seafood concept. The restaurant offers dishes made with local ingredients such as seafood cioppino with Calabrian chile broth, whole grilled fish with fennel and ocean water poached lobster. The 3,565-foot space can seat approximately 136 guests and includes an expansive bar, waiting area and private dining room. It’s open 4:30-10 p.m. Monday-Sunday and is first come, first served. Reservations are not required.
In April, Casino Morongo, located next door to Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, reopened its bingo hall in a new room located near the back of the casino. The old bingo hall was among those that shuttered because of the coronavirus pandemic. The refreshed space features 250 seats and electronic playing tablets. It opens at 3 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, with the first game starting at 6 p.m., and closes at 9 p.m. On Sundays, doors open at 11 a.m., with the first game starting at 2 p.m., and closes at 5 p.m.
In addition to the new bingo hall, Casino Morongo also added a new poker room. Previously, the poker room was located at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. It now features games such as Texas Hold ’em and Omaha Hold ’em. It also has six 65-inch high definition TVs for showing sports and is open 24 hours.
In May, Morongo Casino Resort & Spa was the first to replace a buffet space with a celebrity kitchen concept at a Southern California casino. The Marketplace, by Fabio Viviani, replaced the Potrero Canyon Buffet with a concept similar to a food hall that is all-you-can-eat. Guests visiting The Marketplace can choose from seven different eateries such as Pescato (seafood), Pork & Waffles (BBQ and Southern comfort food), Sukiru (Pan-Asian), Prime Cuts (part steakhouse and part Brazilian Churrascaria) and Sweet Things (desserts). It’s open 4-9 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays; 4-10 p.m. Fridays; 3-10 p.m. Saturdays; and 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Sundays. The restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Reservations can be made by visiting a kiosk directly in front of The Marketplace.
In April, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland joined the other Southern California casinos by constructing an entertainment venues. The Yaamava’ Theater opened with a special performance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The theater has four levels and can fit up to 3,000 guests when the seats are fully retracted on the first level and 2,500 with reserved seating. It has nine VIP suites on its second level that accommodate 10-22 guests. Each suite provides a dedicated VIP server and includes amenities such as food and bottle service and access to a private bathroom. Some of the upcoming programming for 2023 includes performances by Leslie Jones, Carlos Santana, Banda MS, The Offspring and more.
In November, the casino opened The 909, a sports bar concept that replaced the space where The Pines and the Finish Line Bar used to be. The 909 measures more than 17,100-square-feet and includes multiple tables with seating for up to four people and 78 seats dedicated to bar-top gaming. It also features four eateries: Get It Grill, Thai Chi 2, Pizza Mayhem and Just Barbeque (JBQ). The space also has two bars that offer a variety of IPAs, stouts, ales, ciders and seltzers from Central California, Orange County and San Diego breweries.
