The Sage Cafe is given the label of that "24-hour restaurant" located at the Barona Valley Ranch Casino in Lakeside, CA. However, the dining experience here is much more than just a diner type eatery where you can get a greasy burger, fries, and a Coke for a few bucks.
Sage is located at the back of casino in the non-smoking gaming area, near the hallway that leads to the guest rooms. The waiting area near the hostess stand resembles a living room with comfortable recliner chairs and sofa and a fireplace. The dining room has a large window to the left that overlooks the beautiful green golf course.
When Mike and I received a $40 food credit in the mail for the casino, it was an easy decision to have dinner here after work before it expired. We chose the cafe rather than the buffet, because we did not want to stuff ourselves with cuisines that don't go well together. We actually wanted a nice sit-down meal after a hard day's work.
The Sage Cafe has a simple menu of comfort food favorites, steaks, seafood, sandwiches, a build your own burger option, breakfast items, and even a section for Chinese cuisine.
All dinner entrees come with either a wedge salad or cup of soup. Because I ordered the fish n' chips, I wanted crunchy cole slaw. Our server was sweet, and said that she would check with her manager to see if it was OK and of course it was. I forgot to take a picture of the cole slaw, but it was served in a cute little white ramekin. I could definitely taste the red wine vinegar in the dressing, which didn't bother me. It was a good side of slaw.
Holy moly! Now, this is a massive plate of fish n' chips! There were three large pieces of white cod fried in a stone ale batter, a whole freakn' potato served in big potato wedges, and a duo of sauces, tartar and a remoulade. The fish was awesome. The batter was light & crispy, and there was actually fish inside. The fish tasted fresh and the sauces were spot on. The "chips" weren't my favorite. I'm a "shoestring" kind of girl, so the thick cut fries aren't my thing, especially this thick. They weren't even fried either - baked. Healthier, but when you're ordering fish n' chips, I expect fried items. Good, though, but I only ate two of those, considering the size of both equals a half of a medium sized potato.
Mike ordered the chicken tortilla soup to start, and for his entree, the beer braised short rib with macaroni and cheese and a vegetable. The entree actually comes with green beans, but the last time we came here, the green beans were barely even cooked and were blanched too early. He opted for the steamed broccoli instead. The short rib fell off the bone and was flavorful. The mac n' cheese was creamy and well-done.
We skipped dessert and paid our couple bucks (our balance from the $40 food credit) plus 20% tip for the service before we sought out a few slot machines calling our names.
I believe, that evening, we came out beating the casino for once, but we both know that we will eventually give it back. *wink*
1 comment:
Jan, I LOVE this restaurant at Barona! When you're ready to make the drive for second meal, I'm going with you. I'm still craving for that hot Indian Fry Bread!
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