gordonc11
Four of us rode our motorcycles up Palomar Mountain and then stopped at the Orchard Café in the Santa Ysabel Casino for lunch. We were seated quickly at a nice table with a great view of the mountains. Two of us had the chicken salad, one had the taco salad and I had the Chef's Salad. Our server was friendly and efficient and took good care of us. I don't think anyone thought the meal was outstanding, but considering that it's not the food that attracts one to a casino, I guess that's not too surprising. All of the meals were on the bland side although the portions were generous enough. The meats (ham, turkey and chicken) in my salad were a little on the dry side as were the slices of cheese. All in all it was very unforgettable lunch.
723russellb
I stumbled upon this place driving back from a trip to the mountains. For those looking for a more intimate casino, this may be the place. The staff were very friendly and had a greeter at the door. Like any casino, the booze is a bit overpriced. There is a good variety of slot machines. The casino has a wine tasting machine that I have never seen before. You pre-purchase a card and local wine is dispensed at the proper temperature.Worth a stop!
rcurry17
When the Casino opened, the food was pretty great. They offered a prime rib for an Old Las Vegas deal one night a week, and we went often. More recently the restaurant has tried other cuisines including Mexican, which have not been quite as great. The bar is fun, with an array of microbrews. It is situated in the middle of the poker machine action, with a dance floor that rarely is used. We happened to be there once when a band played, but the staff assured us that that was not a regular thing.We don't have much luck in Casinos, so we didn't expect to win big. We hope this place makes the changes it needs to make to stay afloat and thrive. It is a fun location for us, with a great view of the valley and mountains from the dining area.
DarcyS_12
Casino Santa Ysabel was an unexpected stop on our way back from Julian, CA. We thought we could check out the Casino and get a bite to eat. This Casino is a very small one, but very clean and modern. This Casino has a beautiful view of Lake Henshaw. We signed up for the player cards before playing the slots. By signing up, we received a free dinner what they call surf and turf. The dinner was pretty good except the steak was a bit tough for me but the waiter was very happy to get me another one that wasn’t cook too much. The service was excellent! I tried the Black and Blue Cider and loved it! We played the slots & took home $75. So, free dinner and walk away with $75.00 not too shabby!!!
Auctionone
We have a second home in Borrego Springs and like to stop here to play occasionally our our way home. The cafe food very good and they have specials all the time. Great prices.The only reason we didn't give it a better rating is alot of the slots seem dated and not a huge variety. We understand it's called gambling, but we have not had great luck the last few trips. I'm sure that will turn around soon.Can't say enough about the staff, they are very patient as a great deal of there patronsl are retirees and are not always the most pleasant or patient group. We haven't been for several months but will give it a try again soon.
onewhowaits
I'd driven past the road that leads up to the casino severals times. On this day, I decided to drop by. The first thing I noticed was that the parking lot was 90% empty. I could tell by the layout that there was a great view overlooking the east, so I walked to the far side of the parking lot and saw a beautiful view of the valley below. I pulled out my camera and was about to snap a photo when some off-duty yahoo whistled at me like I was a dog. I looked over and he was pointing over to the parking lot from where I came. Apparently you're not allowed to enjoy the view. I proceeded to ignore him and took my photo anyway. Afterword, I decided to go inside the casino to grab a bite to eat at The Orchard. I ordered the Carne Asada plate. While there was a lot of meat on the plate, most of it was unchewable. You know those pieces of stringy tendons you sometimes get in steak? That's what it was mostly.First vist. Last visit.
WillisS_12
There is nothing like being a local, and being a part of the back woods community I am always very excited to see a local business pop-up, especially when it's a business which can help out my good friends on the rez. However, for some reason every time my neighbors and I make the trip to the Santa Ysabel Casino the staff always seems to have a negative attitude, and are more concerned with throwing around the stink eye and gossiping than providing customer service. Call me silly but if I'm losing money to a computer game I really only ask for a smile from the ladies behind the counters. Additionally the vibe from the security guards always seems to create a prisonesk atmosphere, and they seem to take pleasure out of harassing you after cashing out your winnings. On top of it, getting carded when buying a drink was made incredibly uncomfortable with the tatted up rent-a-cop breathing down my gf's neck. Sadly while I love to see local businesses succeed, unless things change I fear my friends and I will just have to make the drive to Barona.P.S. Second chances are endless in my book, and I will be back soon hoping for the best.
Hookele92065
Not worth the price of gas from Ramona, round trip. A rip-off in every sense. Either stay home or go to Barona.
twitte
Nice little casino, with a good restaurant and friendly people. A little smokey but most are like that now. Good band on special weekends (Gary DeLugg Band) that is nice to listen to. Special discounts for 55+ (sign up for discount card). Food was good. $2 wine wasn't bad either (for 55+). Slots were generous to us and we have won almost every time we have been there (probably will end on next visit). I think they have overnight parking available now for RV's. They don't have a hotel but I think they are getting ready to build something next to the Casino. Nice location on top of a hill. Check out the players club for special discounts (we just found out about it).