Casinos are well known for their extensive buffets. Pechanga Resort & Casino just stepped it up another notch with their Lobster & Seafood Extravaganza on Thursday nights. The main draw is the one-and-one-quarter pound whole Maine lobster done in an East Coast lobster bake style with roasted potatoes and corn on the cob. The limit is ONE at a time, but once you finish, you can grab yourself another!
We were invited to enjoy this new buffet menu and knew our first stop had to be the advertised lobster station. The staff pulled the individually packaged lobster and sides out of a steaming hot pot.
At the table, we removed the netting and went to town on that gorgeous lobster. It was cooked just right and the meat was so easy to pull from the shell. I excitely told Dennis that these were pre-cracked, and he slyly replied "Yes, by me!" Haha thanks sweetheart!
We also met Franco, the food/beverage chef who happens to run two kitchens at Pechanga! He informed us that they served 2200 lobstser the previous thursday and the number was only increasing with the buffet's popularity!
Snow crab legs, dungeness crab legs, shrimp, oysters, and mussels were next. Now THIS is the kind of food I'd expect my mom and aunties to repeat throughout the night! They truly love everything seafood! I imagined their approval as I ate everything on this plate!
This fish dish looked so amazing. A whole Atlantic Salmon cooked and ready to eat! The staff peeled back the skin to give access to the baked flesh.
Another seafood-inspired buffet plate contained prepared seafood items such as fried fish (to be paired with chips), lasagna and fried crab leg, and my favorites of lobster ravioli and baked oysters.
There was a carving station where you could pick up roasted turkey, prime rib, etc. Here's where Dennis's meat expertise comes to play. He found the prime rib very tender and perfectly cooked. A little salt bae action made it perfect to our liking. The beef ribs had good char flavor but he found several areas to be a bit too chewy. The pork ribs were also tender but the thick coating of strong BBQ sauce had to be scraped off before eating. The turkey white meat was very tasty and soft.
I loved the presentation of the cold cut meats and cheeses! Dennis crafted bruschetta with crostini and tomatoes and we both enjoyed the unique pizza. The sandwich (muffuletta style?) was great but it was cut into a hefty sample size!
There were two sections providing a taste of Asia so these were next on the list to consume.
Cuisine from Mexico was another option. Our server Brian recommended the Al pastor tacos which was his favorite and reminded him of home. Dennis saw the sign but no actual food out. Apparently you have to ask for them and theyll get a plate for you. Al pastor tacos were very juicy and were our favorite from this section.
We already knew the night would end well because we attended the Chocolate Decadence Festival two years ago, which showcased dessert from Pechanga. The pistachio mousse was fluffy and not too sweet. The decadent lemoncello cup had a slightly sweet top and some tart cream at the bottom. The yummy raspberry bar had a bottom layer with nuts in there. The tiramisu was light on the coffee flavor so worked out pretty well. And here's a secret... you're able to request a custom milkshake at the Banana Fosters and Milkshake station but apparently you can also get it to go!
Big thanks to this anonymous guy who happily posed for us. You can be grinning like him too! Go get your lobster buffet on!
Buffet details: Lobster & Seafood Extravaganza is on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to close at 10 p.m., beginning January 11, 2018. Adults and children three to 11 are $44.99 and kids two and under are free. Pechanga Club members receive discounts at the Pechanga Buffet including on Lobster & Seafood Extravaganza Thursdays. Silver members receive $3 off, Gold members receive $6, Platinum members receive $9 off and Red card members receive $12 off.
Hotel Expansion
When we were here two years ago, the hotel was undergoing some major construction. The new section is now complete and looks very beautiful!
Hallway to the newest hotel rooms.
I especially love this waterfall of leaves by the escalators. They are so shimmery at night!
Brand new buildings plus a large outdoor patio.
We stayed overnight in a corner suite in the newly constructed part of the hotel.
Spacious bathroom with both a shower and a tub. We found bathrobes in the closet. I also appreciate the great bath products by Molton Brown, made in London which we recently visited.
Daytime view of the sitting room.
Pechanga Resort & Casino is also welcoming visitors to celebrate the year of the dog!
There are dog statues too!
Happy Lunar New Year everyone!
Disclaimer: We were provided buffet and accommodations at the hotel. We were not otherwise compensated and all opinions stated are our own
