Choices Buffet at Pala Casino

“To eat, or not to eat?”  That is NOT the question.  “To eat some, or ALL of it?!”  That is the question at Choices The Buffet at Pala Casino.

Let’s face it.  Sometimes you just want to chow down!  There’s no shame in that.  We love to have choices with our food, and what better way is there than to visit a 200 item buffet Las Vegas style!

If you’re a San Diego native, no doubt you are aware of the many Indian casinos that lie on the outer perimeter of San Diego County.  There are Pala, Veijas, Barona, Harrah’s Rincon, and Pechanga to name a few.  These casinos are legit and have many of the same games as the big Vegas ones… i.e. poker, blackjack, pai gow, slots, etc.

Anyhow, these casinos know that we get hungry when gambling and have brought the same grandeur of Vegas-style buffets right to San Diegans and visitors.  Most of these casinos are within 30 minutes to an hour’s drive.

So let’s get to the Choices Buffet!  A great name no doubt.  They’ve got a huge area with appetizers, salads, hot entrees, and of course desserts!

To begin, I’ve got a very specific strategy when I go to a buffet.  I’m smart enough to know that my eyes are bigger than my stomach.  So, an initial scoping of the layout is a must.  You don’t want to accidentally get overloaded with unnecessary filler.  If you plan your trips accordingly, you can maximize your dining pleasure and leave enough room for desserts!

Next on the plan of attack is to take down apps and salads.  (May as well get some greens in while I’m at it!).  I did enjoy the fried calamari and clam strips.

Next up, was my first meat course.  A little turkey and mash with gravy brought back Thanksgiving Day smiles.  I also tried a flank steak with some mushroom gravy which was decent.

The real winner was the steak station that has 3 types of meat to choose from.  You can get a perfect piece prepared to how you like your doneness, but for me medium-rare is the way to go.  As I can’t remember the exact cut, the meat was very flavorful and tender.  Delish!

My second meat course was a healthy slice of prime rib.  The picture should speak for itself.  I was pretty satisfied with this one.  Is it the best Prime Rib ever?  No, but since I wasn’t dining at Lawry’s, I considered it pretty good for the $$.

I’m sure I had a couple additional plates, but my following pics are onto desserts (one of my life passions).  As you can see, self-dipped chocolate strawberry, blackberry tart, creme brulee, macaroon, and home-made mint choco chip ice cream!  (My only gripe with the ice cream was it was too soft.  I love my ice cream to be rock solid!)

Since I apparently wasn’t satisfied, I got some cookies, a lemon bar, more macaroons, more ice cream, and some apple streusel.

Crazy?? YES!!

If you’re wondering if I ate all of that… I did!  Well, I had a little help from the wify here and there.  Let’s just say though, I am still working this meal off.

All in all, I was very satisfied with the Choices Buffet.  It’s not as lavish as some Vegas ones, but it’s still pretty darn good!  My favorite Vegas buffets are Bellagio, Wynn, and Mandalay Bay (for value).

Prices at Choices Buffet depend on the day and time you visit, but overall it was very reasonable at just under $30 for this dinner.

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