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In the ever-evolving casino landscape, dining plays a big role, with properties across Southern California regularly opening new concepts and finding ways to upgrade existing ones.

In 2021, that trend continues. Spotlight 29 has opened a new brewpub; Pala Casino Spa Resort recently spent millions to revamp one of its classic dining options; and Harrah’s Resort Southern California and San Manuel Casino have both made changes to restaurant menus.

Spotlight 29 opens new brewpub 

In Coachella, Spotlight 29 Casino has opened a new brewpub occupying the space of its former Capitata Buffet.

The new restaurant, Taproom 29, features an eclectic food menu as well as 29 different beers that are poured at 29 degrees. Some of the beers — a golden, an ale, an IPA and a stout — are brewed in-house, but others are from notable craft breweries such as Brewery X and La Quinta Brewing Company, said General Manager Ryan Walker.

Walker said that the new menu features items such as brick oven pizzas, finger foods such as wings and burgers and higher-end fare such as a tomahawk ribeye steak.

“Basically we wanted to create a menu that had mass appeal that could cater to different palates and different desires to go out and be entertained and have dinner,” he said.

Casino officials announced the restaurant’s opening late last year on social media and will celebrate a grand opening March 1. It’s open 6 a.m.-2 a.m. daily.

At the heart of the new space is a large circular bar that can fit up to 26 people that features a wraparound ice-rail at the bar designed to keep drinks cold. Six 86-inch televisions are located at the bar as well.

Around the bar is the dining facility that features both communal and individual tables, Walker said. People in the dining room can watch as their pizzas are being made at a brick oven pizza station or look at the glass-enclosed brewery.

More is expected to be added to the new restaurant. Walker said part of another former restaurant that closed, Gem (which was located next to the buffet), is under construction now to become an event space for The Taproom that will be able to rent for large groups or events such as bridal showers and quinceañeras. He described the space as being warm like a den, but with high-end finishes.

The remaining portion of Gem will become another dining concept at some point in the future, Walker said.

“Originally before COVID, we planned on this space to be the new buffet, but now obviously with the world changing our food venue offering would likely not be a buffet and will be either a formal or a quick service-type setup,” he said.

Elsewhere on the property, the Pier 29 Food Court that closed in 2019 has not yet transitioned into another concept. Walker said for now, plans for that area remain on hold.

Walker said that officials have also discussed adding a potential patio dining space in the future.

Information: spotlight29.com

Pala Café undergoes remodel; adds grab-and-go option

Pala Casino Spa Resort will finish up a $4.5 million remodel on its 20-year-old Pala Café at the end of February. The popular restaurant will not only feature a new design, but will also offer a grab-and-go foodservice area that will allow guests to pick up ready-made items without having to sit at a table and wait for service, according to casino spokesman Coley McAvoy.

He said the popular long-operating restaurant had largely remained the same since its 2001 opening and it was time for a facelift. The dining room now offers new seating and will feature a color scheme of reds and oranges and rich woods, McAvoy said.

He said the Pala Café Grab & Go area will offer hot and cold sandwiches, bottled coffees, teas, hummus and yogurt. McAvoy said the menu will remain consistent and those items will be available during the Grab & Go’s hours of operation from 11 a.m.-2 a.m. (The full service Pala Café is open 4 a.m.-2 a.m. Mondays and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.)

Guest feedback led to the addition of the grab-and-go area, McAvoy said. Guests repeatedly shared their appreciation for the property’s coffee shop, Coffee Amore, because of its grab-and-go setup with coffee, sandwiches, danishes and muffins, he said, and they wanted to see either an expanded menu at the coffee shop or another grab-and-go location.

“It’s centrally located to the casino floor so our guests on the slots and tables can walk over, grab an item from the Grab & Go and go back to their favorite slot machine or table game,” he said.

Pala Café’s former neighbor, Sushi Sake, was closed to make way for the Grab & Go area, but McAvoy said that menu items from that restaurant will remerge as part of another project that is currently in development.

Information: palacasino.com

Casinos revamp menus 

Other Southern California tribal casinos have had eateries change menus.

Harrah’s Resort Southern California recently announced that its ‘Ritas Cantina has a new menu inspired by multiple regions of Mexico that was put together by Chef Leticia Nunez (Nunez had a big role in the opening of Casino Pauma’s Lindo Valle) and Chef Homero Lopez. The menu includes items such as queso fundido with chorizo and mushrooms; sauteed shrimp enchiladas; and chilaquiles topped with Manchego cheese.

Elsewhere, San Manuel Casino announced on social media in January that George Lopez’s Chingon Kitchen had added breakfast items, including chilaquiles, a chorizo and egg quesadilla and a chorizo and potato breakfast burrito. Breakfast items are available from 8-11 a.m. and can be ordered using the to-go feature on San Manuel’s website. There are chairs and tables to sit and eat around the property, but San Manuel is currently not offering dine-in service.

Information: harrahssocal.com; sanmanuel.com.