More than 20 Christmas dinner ideas at Southern California casinos

Last year, Southern California’s tribal casinos scaled back their Christmas dining options due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s offerings seem to be closer to the scale that avid casino goers were accustomed to before the pandemic.

There are also a couple of restaurants providing Christmas Eve dinners as well if you prefer to go out before the big day. Be sure to contact the casino you plan to visit for the latest information.

Note that Pechanga Resort Casino is the only regional casino offering a to-go feast. If you plan on ordering, be mindful of the Dec. 17 cutoff date.

Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs

401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs. 888-999-1995, aguacalientecasinos.com.

The Steakhouse: The multi-course meal includes a choice of butternut squash soup or a salad to start; followed by an entrée of cinnamon braised beef short ribs or baked salmon and crab with a tarragon beurre blanc. Dessert is a choice of apple, cranberry or pecan cobbler served with vanilla ice cream and caramel. 4-11 p.m. Dec. 25. $95. Reservations recommended and can be made via 888-999-1995 or aguacalientecasinos.com.

Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage 

32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage. 888-999-1995, aguacalientecasinos.com.

The Steakhouse: The three-course meal includes choice of roasted chestnut bisque or roasted beet salad. Entrees include a choice of individual beef Wellington or sausage-stuffed pork chop, followed by a dessert of a yule log, chocolate ganache and an egg nog shot.  4-11 p.m. Dec. 25. $100.  Reservations recommended and can be made by calling 888-999-1995 or via aguacalientecasinos.com.

Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City

68960 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City. 888-999-1995, aguacalientecasinos.com

Café One Eleven: Three-course prix-fixe menu with lemon vinaigrette kale salad; chocolate covered espresso bean crusted filet mignon, and a brandy herb butter lobster tail, black truffle mashed potatoes and green beans; pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. $60. Available Friday Dec. 24 after 5 p.m. and offered all day through Sunday Dec. 26. Reservations recommended and can be made by calling 888-999-1995 or via aguacalientecasinos.com.

Augustine Casino

84-001 Ave. 54, Coachella. 760-391-9500, augustinecasino.com.

Café 54: Three-course meal with a choice of butternut squash soup or garden salad to start; entrée of rosemary lamb chops, scalloped potatoes, butter poached white and green asparagus; and dessert of bread pudding with caramel sauce. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Dec. 25. $29.

Casino Pauma

777 Pauma Reservation Road, Pauma Valley.  877-687-2862, casinopauma.com

Café: Choice of soup or salad to start; an entrée choice of two 7-ounce lobster tails with corn on the cob, baked potato, asparagus, jalapeño corn bread for $39 or a 16-ounce prime rib with roasted squash medley and honey glazed carrots for $25. 4 p.m.-midnight Dec. 25.

Cahuilla Casino 

52702 Highway 371, Anza. 951-763-1200, cahuillacasinohotel.com.

Ribbonwood Grill Christmas Eve: 10-ounce roasted pork served with patatas bravas and seasonal vegetables. Noon-10 p.m. Dec. 24. $28.

Ribbonwood Grill Christmas Day:  Pork loin stuffed with caramelized fruits served with current sauce, patatas bravas and season vegetables. Noon-10 p.m., Dec. 25. $26.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino 

84-245 Indio Springs Drive, Indio. 760-345-2450 , fantasyspringsresort.com.

Fresh Grill Buffet Christmas Eve Dinner: Options include seafood, prime rib, maple-glazed turkey breast,“Churrasco-style” New York steaks, filet of sole Florentine and char-grilled carne asada. Dessert options feature a chocolate fountain and a spread of cakes, pastries, sugar-free selections, including some holiday-themed items. 4-9 p.m. Dec. 24. $34.99 adults; $24.99 children; children 3 and under are free.

Fresh Grill Buffet Christmas Day Dinner: Options include seafood, prime rib, honey-dijon baked ham, maple-glazed turkey breast, stuffed pork tenderloin, Mediterranean seafood cioppino; Desserts include choices of bananas foster, yule logs, pastries, Christmas cookies and a chocolate fountain. 3:30-9 p.m. Dec. 25. $39.99 adults; $29.99 children; children under 3 are free.

POM: Beef Wellington with an 8-ounce filet mignon, spinach-mushroom duxelles, puff-pastry, sauteed asparagus with a port wine demi-glace. The regular menu is also available. 5-11 p.m. Dec. 25. $64.

The Bistro: Seafood mixed grill with marinated and grilled Maine lobster tail, scallop and jumbo prawn served with crushed potatoes and broccoli-cheddar souffle. The regular menu is also available. 5-10 p.m. Dec. 25. $65. Reservations recommended and can be made via 760-342-5000 or www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Harrah’s Resort Southern California 

777 Harrah’s Rincon Way, Valley Center. 760-751-3100 , harrahssocal.com.

The Café: Turkey dinner with carved white meat turkey, candied sweet potatoes with pecan bacon, green beans and gravy. 7 a.m.-midnight. Dec. 25. $22.

‘ritas Cantina: Chile relleno en nogada, with roasted poblano chile, shredded beef birria, dried apples, apricots plums and a walnut crema. 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Dec. 25. $18.99.

Fiore: A 24-ounce Wagyu beef filet mignon with creamed spinach, duck fat potatoes and bernaise sauce. 4:30-10 p.m. Dec. 25. $90.

Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa

49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon. 951-849-3080, morongocasinoresort.com

Cielo: Three-course meal with cauliflower soup; crab cake-stuffed lobster with duck confit stacked potatoes, agave-glazed carrots and lobster cream; peppermint cheesecake for dessert. 5-11 p.m. Dec. 25. Reservations highly recommended via OpenTable or by calling 800-252-4499. $97.

Good Times Café: Beef tenderloin, potato gratin, broccoli, baby carrots and peppercorn sauce with spiced gingerbread chocolate cake for dessert. 11-2 a.m. Dec. 25. $36.99.

Pit Stop Diner: Located next door at Casino Morongo, the restaurant has a three-course meal with a salad; short ribs served with mashed potatoes, cherry tomatoes, sautéed asparagus; and eggnog pie for dessert. 11 a.m.-midnight. Dec. 25. $23.99.

Pechanga Resort Casino

45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula. 877-711-2946, pechanga.com.

Pechanga’s Holiday To-Go: Serves 6-8.The dinner, which is made fresh on Christmas, includes bone-in prime rib, mashed potatoes, roasted baby carrots, Brussels sprouts, au jus, creamy horseradish, apple or pecan pie and rolls and butter. $210. Orders can be placed through Friday, Dec. 17, by calling 951-770-2307. Guests who pre-ordered can pick up their feast curbside outside the Blends Coffee Bar from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 25.

Soboba Casino Resort 

22777 Soboba Road, San Jacinto. 951-665-1000, soboba.com.

Canyons Steakhouse: Three-course meal starts includes butternut squash bisque; grilled prime bone-in ribeye and jumbo lump crab cake served with black garlic and horseradish mashed potatoes and roasted seasonal vegetables; dessert is a choice of double chocolate candy cane cake or eggnog butter cake. 2-8 p.m. Dec. 25. $110. Reservations only and can be made by calling 866-476-2622.

Fairway Café: The three-course meal starts with a choice of cornucopia salad or southwestern corn chowder; followed by an entrée choice of sous vide stuffed Cornish game hen with sautéed winter vegetables, sausage cranberry-grain stuffing and herbed chicken velouté, or osso buco braised lamb shank with parsnip red potato puree sautéed spinach. Dessert is tiramisu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. $40.

Yaamava’ Resort & Casino

777 San Manuel Blvd, Highland. 800-359-2464, yaamava.com

Serrano Vista Café: Portuguese bean soup with pesto crouton ($6); entrée special is prime rib with Alaskan king crab legs, autumn vegetables and whipped Yukon gold potatoes ($85); dessert is a S’mores tart ($10). 5-11 p.m. Dec. 25. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made via yaamava.com.

The Pines Modern Steakhouse: Entrée special is roasted poussin served with chestnut stuffing, port wine glaze and vegetables ($42); dessert is chocolate macarons ($15). 5-10 p.m. Dec. 25. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made via yaamava.com.

Valley View Casino & Hotel

16300 Nyemii Pass, Valley Center. 760-291-5500, valleyviewcasino.com

Black&Blue Steakhouse: A three-course meal starts with choice of Caesar salad, candied apple salad or potato leek soup; followed by entrée choice of pistachio rosemary-crusted lamb chops, seafood scampi with Mexican white shrimp, scallops and homemade pappardelle pasta or filet mignon. Dessert is the choice of crème brûlée, baked Alaska or bourbon pecan frangipane cake with caramel maple pecan brittle. 5-10 p.m. Dec. 25. $59. Reservations strongly recommended and can be made by calling 760-291-2130.

Patties & Pints: A three-course meal with choice of lobster bisque or salad; a New York strip with wild mushroom risotto, roasted carrots and asparagus; and caramel apple cheesecake for dessert. 3-11 p.m. $40. Dec. 25.