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Chumash Casino
Category: Arts & Entertainment Casinos Casinos [Edit]
3400 E Highway 246Santa Ynez, CA 93460
(805) 686-0855
- Good for Kids:
- No
70 reviews for Chumash Casino
70 reviews in English
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Review from Jen H.
1/15/2012
CHA CHINGGGG!!!! $_$
Wow, am I addicted to gambling if I went to three different casinos in three different cities in three weeks?!!
Casino #1: BOY WAS IT PACKED!!! 95% of the slot machines (must've been over 100 machines) were occupied. The parking structure has 5 levels, and it was tough looking for a parking spot!
Sadly, all of us lost money, but definitely not more than $20/person. Hmm, this was a dry casino, so they were only serving coffee, tea, and soda. I wish it was a smoke free casino too, but unfortunately it wasn't :(!
like what Kim G said, "The big draw here, if its your first time coming here, and you live in the LA county, make sure you apply for there players card. They automatically give you $50 dollars in free slot play. Yes, i said fifty.. Good deal. " -
Review from Kim G.
South Gate, CA
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty nice casino out in Santa Ynez. Its your average indian casino. Its like 6 miles off the 101 frwy passing Solvang, CA.
So we came here right before the holidays as a present to my mom and dad since they like to gamble, and always wanted to check this place out.
Casino itself is actually really nice when you walk in. They have some indoor waterfalls on each side of the elevators that go up to the gaming area.
The gaming area itself was pretty clean. Alot of slots, and some table games.
The big draw here, if its your first time coming here, and you live in the LA county, make sure you apply for there players card. They automatically give you $50 dollars in free slot play. Yes, i said fifty.. Good deal. Plus your in wine country, so you can always go wine tasting in the surrounding areas since your there and all.
Drive from LA to Casino, was about 2hrs and 20 mins roundabout. FYI.
Also during the week, they only have one bar on the second floor which opens after 3pm. A non smoking slot second is also on the second floor. -
Review from Robert C.
9/17/2011
What a fun surprise-- I guess when I started going to the Santa Ynez wine country 6 years back this place was just a tent with some slot machines.
Now it's a full service, hotel, spa, casino and live music venue -- yes Billy Idol is performing there... wow!
Anyways, $50 feee credit for any casino first time! That was a great winery tip for anyone looking to mess around just 6 miles outside of Los Olivos.Listed in: Sideways
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Review from Jason R.
San Diego, CA
8/30/2011
Is http://peopleofchumash... taken?
No alcohol. Anywhere.
I've never seen so many 6's at a blackjack table. -
Review from Jonathan L.
San Francisco, CA
6/16/2011
This casino overall is ok but the service is what stood out. My cousin was excited to bring us here because they offer a whopping $50 dollar first time free play. When we went to claim it, the person at the club card desk said we had to have an ID in the LA county area inorder to claim it. Disappointed, my cousin when to the desk to get a new card because he lost his and the hostess asked if we were all in his party. He said yes and she gave all five of us (excluding my cousin of course) the $50 dollar credit! She could have easily not said anything and we would be on our way but her honestly gave me an excellent first impression on this Casino.
After we got our cards, we hit the buffet to fuel our energy for a fun night of gambling. The lines were pretty long and the seating area is surprisingly small. The food at the buffet wasn't really worth the money but still had some pretty good items. The prime rib was incredible and I've been to expensive prime rib restaurants to compare it to. They also have horchata on their drink menu which I thought was a pleasant addition. Their crab was also delicious but BEWARE OF LURKERS AND LINE CUTTERS! There are plenty of them at this place. After waiting in line for them to bring out fresh crab, a few people walked right in front of me and helped them self to a full plate knowing there was a long line behind me. Overall I would give their buffet a 2.5/5.
Time for gambling! The casino is kind of small and their slot selection isn't too great. All of the good slots are in the smoking section where it is extremely stuffy and pretty much every single machine is taken. The non-smoking section is very small with the same generic slot machine no one really likes playing on. However, they do have a good amount of table games for non smokers which I liked. After using my credits and hitting the tables, I came out winning about $70. Trying not to let my winnings influence my rating, I would give the casino 3/5 stars.
Overall, just because of the excellent friendly service, I will award Chumash with 4/5 stars. Definitely worth a trip if you're in the area. -
Review from Lori L.
Camarillo, CA
1/2/2012
Have been there several times-WAY too smoky with horrible ventilation..worst paying slots ever..RIP off!!!
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Review from k h.
Chatsworth, CA
1/1/2012
No cell phone service. Surrounded by smoke. People here are nuts. I only go to spend my free play.
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Review from M B.
Sunnyvale, CA
6/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I used to come to this place once a month back when i was in college. it's where i learned to play blackjack... the start of it all!
boy is it different now! My friends and i came on a saturday night and we drove around looking for parking for a good 25 minutes. It was so ridiculous. We should have just taken that as a sign, but unfortunately we went finally got a spot and went inside.
It's a nice casino inside however it is certainly smokey and the clientele isn't exactly pleasant. I guess it's what you'd expect from an indian casino out in the middle of the central valley. -
Review from Christy M.
San Jose, CA
6/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pro's: Non smoking slot area upstairs, chumash cafe/buffet was decent, person with a cart comes around with coffee and hot chocolate, slots seemed to pay out for most people, my friend won on high limit machine, since it was my first time the lady was cool and gave me 50 in free slot play, then another 20 for accumulating points after playing!
Con's: Tried to play bingo, but you have to play 4.5 hours..why can't they do it for like 2 hours at a time?? Too many old people on the weekdays, and some of them are RUDE! One old man hit me in the head while he was walking and i was sitting at a machine, he turned to see what he had hit, then just walked away. Another security guard told my dad not to "run" in the bingo area when he clearly wasn't running, he was walking fast to catch up to a woman who forgot her bingo stamper and trying to do something nice. The security man was nasty and not nice about it. -
Review from Whitney H.
Los Angeles, CA
3/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here with my friends while on a wine tasting trip in the area - they are into gambling, I am not. But normally, I can enjoy hanging out at a casino. I can drink, people watch, etc...
But not here. This casino is not fun for a non-gambler. Instead of being interesting to watch, the clientele is kind of desperate and sad. There's no alcohol to be had, hence no bar to hang at. So, you get smoky smelling hair and you can't even get buzzed. I couldn't wait to leave.
Next time, I'll have my friends drop me at Mission Santa Inez down the street.Listed in: Not so much
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Review from Stephanie L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/4/2011
Chumash is great if you're in SB or LA and you wanna play the closest thing to Vegas Blackjack, or if you're really into slots. I guess this place is also good for ppl under 21.
They opened a new poker room, but poker players 21+ are definitely better off at one of the LA casinos, unless you live in SB.
Positives:
-Blackjack and Slots.
-If you're a smoker, you can smoke cigarettes anywhere except the poker room (they have a separate smoking room for the poker area).
Negatives:
-Lack of alcohol. I heard you can get alcohol from some restaurant type thing inside the casino, but apparently you have to also buy food. Basically, you can't drink and gamble at the same time.
-If you live in LA it's a helluva drive.
-If you have Verizon, your phone gets little or no reception inside the casino.
-If you're not a smoker, you'll probably hate the constant cigarette smoke in your face. -
Review from Michael W.
Los Angeles, CA
8/13/2011
casino floor is incredibly small...
came here few weeks ago ...i played electronic bj and this other varient with a lottery ball that had the number in a pit of balls...the only thing i like about this place is the beverage cart service...they stroll around asking if anyone wants a juice or coffee...i usually tip a $... -
Review from Lynette T.
Hidden Hills, CA
9/6/2010
(Post 3/5 on our "Get the heck out of LA for a day" road trip)
My hubby & I were on a random road trip.
Since I chose our first stops in Santa Barbara, he chose the Chumash Casino as our lunch destination.
He has forsworn buffets for the time being (YAY!), so we ate at the Chumash Cafe. He enjoyed his breakfast Rancher's Plate with an extra side of hash browns.
Note: How thoughtful. Due to the massive egg recalls, a warning of possible illness was printed on that menu page.
I wasn't too hungry and ordered a Sampler Plate of appetizers.
Chicken strips, popcorn shrimp, calamari & onion rings that came with Ranch dressing, seafood cocktail sauce & chipotle sauce.
Don't know what's with my appetite lately. Hubby helped eat most of my appetizers! What I did have was pretty good though.
Our server, Peter, was charming & attentive.
So, after our meal, we wandered about the casino for a bit.
We just weren't feeling it today.
A rarity for me. I usually try to ditch hubby to go crazy on the slots.
I even had all my Asian good luck tokens in my purse!
But, nope. None of the machines called out to us.
So, on we went to the next destination of our road trip. -
Review from Kay S.
Los Angeles, CA
10/1/2010
Cheap surroundings, heavily smoke-filled and some of the most awful PlayersClub enticements ever. I have spoken to countless regulars who have literally tossed their promos in the trash because they are nearly worthless - they expect people to drive into the middle of nowhere for only 5 dollars play? How cheap. Don't even bother to mail such trash out Chumash. You'd make that in a single pull of my play. Just plain cheap & stupid.
How's the Casino? Always full of smoke, PlayersClub always has a long line WAITING for people to help them. I've seen a lot of sickly patients who must be bused in from local medical hellholes. We literally saw one guy in a wheelchair with his colostomy bag lying open like some gaping sore. Disgusting. If you want to throw money into the toilet, save yourself the time of driving into the middle of nowhere to do it.
Speaking of toilets, the main nonsmoking play area is literally at the end of a hallway of toilets - nice smells on your way to the 'cleaner air' of the few games they have set aside for you. It's bad enough you have to go through the smoke to get to it, but then they make you run the gauntlet of bathroom odors too. They probably converted the area as an afterthought. So much for good planning on air quality.
Games? Way too many old, has-been machines, many of which are on their last legs. I won't tell you how many broken play buttons I've encountered, forcing you to up your bet higher or the machine won't run. (probably no accident) The change machines weren't working the last time I was there either - NOT ONE of 3 in the area I tried would give change - finally had to go back for change all the way to the cashier - multiple times!
From the stale, skimpy buffet which makes the Morongo and other casino buffets look like King George Celebrational Feasts, to the fact they don't offer liquor as you expect from a nice casino. When you hear someone offering 'drinks.. drinks...' it's for water, soda, coffee and that's about it. NO LIQUOR! Seriously, you are probably really just here if you have time between medical treatments, or have gotten lost on the way to Solvang and think it is a turnaround for gas.
When someone has a casino this bad, this cheap and this bland, they are probably only in it for one reason. My guess is the contents of your wallet - probably figuring you won't ever come back because they are so far out of the way.
Well, my suggestion is don't even give it a first try. You'll be glad you didn't. -
Review from Rod N.
San Jose, CA
8/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very limited casino
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Review from Lisa M.
Burbank, CA
11/28/2011
Ended up here on a whim for a couple hours and had a lot of fun. It was my first time at a casino like this and I go up this way at least twice a year. I didn't see any space to have a meal or lounge with a cup or coffee, they weren't even serving drinks! You come here to gamble. Period. The patrons are clearly regulars as a lot of people knew each other very well as they'd catch up when seeing one another. Two of the four dealers that came to our table made it known that they were disgruntled employees who were unhappy they were working a long shift that day but that was even okay. If I got a good deal for a room I'd go back and spend more time there for fun. It's another cool activity to do in wine country that I had never paid attention to before.
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Review from Jamie V.
7/5/2010
I got dragged here by GF and degenerate best friend. I've been here before so I know what's in store. I have a bad attitude before I even go inside. I know the future. Okay, let's give it another go....
I'm only going to spend $20.00. After that, I'm out. Tell GF (Queen of Reseda) "Here's a twenty spot, make it last". Money's tight right now. I have no business being in here. Long story short, money goes into VP machine, play about 22 hands of poker at a buck a hand and poof, money gone in about 3 minutes. Fuck.
GF already powered through her twenty while I was playing. Now what? I could use a drink. Only way to get a cocktail is to go to the bar at the Willows and order an appetizer. Sure, what the fuck at this point.
What else are you going to do here?
Live music, nope.
Anything interesting to check out, hell no.
Continue to pump hard earned wages into machine which I have no idea how is calibrated or regulated for payouts, fuck no!
Roll upstairs to the Willow's bar and it's fucking closed at 4:45 p.m. on the fucking 4th of July. Really? Jesus H Christ. Like 3 or 4 people walk up to locked doors on similar quest while I'm standing in front of this place.
Hello Chumash! People like to drink after loosing a bunch of cash at your casino. I know the fucked up law makes it hard for you to serve booze, but why do you make it harder on us by being closed until 6:00 p.m.?
BTW- Take a look around if you're here. There's something missing. People laughing, having fun and the occasional jackpot.Listed in: You are dead to me!
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Review from Darrell S.
Long Beach, CA
7/30/2011
Too many video slots, not enough of the old style slots. Hardly any more 25 cent slots and the minimal ones that are around are a high 5 bet max instead of the usual 3. All of the $5 Blackjack or Roulette tables are full while the higher tables are empty.
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Review from Kelly W.
7/13/2010
I came by here with my boyfriend after we ate a huge dinner and wanted something to do. If you are staying in Solvang like we were there is NO night life AT ALL...except of the course the casino!
The casino is O.K. I'm used to Vegas so this dims in comparison. It was a Wednesday night around 7:30pm and even though there was a lot of people there were still plenty of slot machines to play. We found some cheaper ones and gave it a whirl. We lost about $7.00 and moved on. We went upstairs and found the small no-smoking part of the casino and we buckled down for about an hour and walked away even! That's a win in my book :o)
Overall, it's a good way to spend a few hours if you have nothing better to do and you're staying in Solvang. The casino was clean and looked nice enough. I would go back here if I was in the area again.Listed in: My Solvang Adventure
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Review from A L.
Rosemead, CA
3/2/2011
My husband I stopped here on our way back from Santa Cruz to LA on a Sunday night we wanted to take a break from the road. First thing we noticed how packed it was either way we signed up for the players card and received $50 each in free play. We had to walk around a bit until we found seats I guess its always like this on weekends. Most slot machines are new modern so if you like old school not here.. My husband likes to play video blackjack and was very disappointed to learn they do not have any! I was also kinda bummed to learn there's no alcohol! I'm not a drinker but like to take a drink or 2 when in a casino.The food at the cafe was very good. I was very surprised how long I was able to play with my free play compared to free play in Vegas I actually won $60 bucks but of course I gambled it all!
Pros: Good free play,good food,clean and fairly new.
Cons:No alcohol,have to wait for slots average time 5min,no video blackjack. -
Review from Jade S.
Long Beach, CA
7/20/2011
I might be influenced by the fact that I haven't been to any other casinos except for when I was about 10 and visited family in Reno, or the fact that I won $500+ dollars on my first visit (had back luck on the next day, but hey). This place is clean, and huge. I actually like the location, even though you have to drive through the Los Padres forest to get there from So Cal. It's a gorgeous drive! First timers get $50 free play credit, plus another $50 to use within 30 days after that. Ample parking. All around just a nice experience.
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Review from Candida B.
Sacramento, CA
1/27/2011
Typical Indian Casino. A little less divey being out in little old Solvang.
We stopped by just to have dinner at the Buffet on a Monday.
This just happened to be Fiesta Night, Mariachi's included.
Great food, good entertainment. It was a blast watching the older folks get up and dance to the Mariachi's! -
Review from Jacky L.
Harbor City, CA
4/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
SO SMOKY! We went there for a late-night grub at their buffet and I thought it was overpriced for not a whole lot of selection. I think we ate all their crabs though because the chefs looked pissy whenever they saw one of us get up to get more lol
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Review from Henry S.
Dublin, CA
4/13/2010
This is pretty much your standard run of the mill indian casino. Loud, smokey and pretty crowded. They have a large gaming floor and there's actually a lot of $5 black jack tables. The only problem is that its 18 years and old and you get all these young dumb asses who think they know how to play and F*** it up for the table because you hit with a 17. Dumb asses!
If you want to avoid the virgin gamblers, play the $10 and up tables. Poker room was nice but a little out of the way from the main casino floor. Overall decent experience but would say it was spectacular.
Oh one more thing...NO ALCOHOL on the casino floor! -
Review from Caitlin C.
Nashville, TN
2/18/2010
Alright alright, I admit I have a crazy weakness for slot machines. I do enjoy playing them, thank god I never have a lot of cash on me. I think the other reason we stopped by here is something to do, I kinda wanted to see what one of these big resort style Indian casinos is like this.
Anyway, we made the worst decision ever. After driving around the self parking lot for like 20 minutes, we should have known the casino was packed. Shoulda left right then, but instead we went to the valet. It was easy enought to drop off the car, but picking it up was another story all together, I'll get to that later.
Anyways, the place is tacky as heck, but such are most casinos I've been too. You go up escalators between two brightly lit fountain stuctures, and enter the large landscape of slots. In the back is one gigantic room, where a hugemungous valentines bingo tournament was being held, and I guess a place for special events too. I think it was smokier then Las Vegas, it's like people were smoking just because they could.
Due to the extreme overcrowding there were absolutely no slot machines open, none. I'm serious. And if you tried to wait, you'd either die from smoke inhalation, die from the 'people watching' (there were some interseting, sad, weird, creepy, disgusting, and ugly people in ther) or you could easily die from getting trampled by an old lady trying to beat you to a machine.
We left shortly after, only to find that it was going to be a 25 minute wait for the valet to bring the car around. Granted the employees were all running to and from cars, it was insane. There must have been 50 people all huddled by heat lamps outside waiting for their cars. Some people it seemed gave up on waiting, and went back inside, I saw at least 10 cars that had to be returned to the lot when their owners didn't emerge from the crowd after their names were shouted several times. This just backed up the process more.
THE MORAL ,do NOT come here on a busy night. It's completely not worth it. In fact you could probably skip the whole thing! We did come the next morning to kill sometime before heading to a secret valentines day surprise. And the place was empty. I did win about $8 on a Miss Kitty penny slot.
They need to seriously consider their capacity, and parking situation. I swear if there were some sort of emergency it would be a complete disaster.Listed in: Santa Ynez Valley mini…
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Review from Lilani E.
4/5/2007
Chumash Casinos were IT to us Cal Poly kids. We'd just pack up and go here the way other students went to their "bars"...we had our "usual bars" but we also had CHUMASH.
Chumash is about a quick 1 or so away from San Luis Obispo. There are always epic people playing at Chumash (ie ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, etc.). The black jack tables are always fun and there is a good amount of slot machines for people that are patient enough.
It's like Vegas but closer to the ocean (better weather) and on a smaller scale with less people. The age range is either retired or young. Need not be 21, but don't go if you aren't, because you'll probably annoy the other patrons. -
Review from Kevin A.
2/28/2008
NOT TOO SHABBY
If you're a poker or slot player, this place isn't too bad. Sure you'll be seated next to a granny with an oxygen tank out for her last hurrah or a bunch of 18 year olds, but isn't people watching part of the fun? -
Review from Tiffany L.
Anaheim, CA
7/19/2011
Paid 250 to almost $300/night. Just a standard room... was expecting better decor. Definitely not worth the money but it was okay since we came up in gambling.
The staff is friendly and they provide free coffee by the elevators. Small-average-sized casino. The gamblers here seem different than in Vegas. I almost got plowed by one lady in a walker and another in a wheelchair because they were rushing to gamble.
Pool looks like your typical pool in an average apartment building... was expecting the pool to be a alot bigger and nicer--it's in the shade so tanning was out of the question.
Definitely sign up for a players card because the staff hook you up with free rooms and comp your breakfasts. Would come back again but wait to come back during the weekday to use AAA discount and for cheaper room rates... unless I win again. -
Review from Gigi M.
Aiea, HI
8/23/2010
Decent, clean casino. Dealers are nice, even tho they took all my $$!!!
Love the free valet! They're pretty high tech here!
Side note: The women's restrooms are super high tech with revolving electronic toilet seat covers! I was skeptical and didn't trust it and still laid pieces of tp around it! -
Review from Angela S.
La Habra, CA
1/27/2011
This review is solely for the poker room and the reason why I would not come back to this establishment.
On Saturday 01/22/2011, we drove up the coast and spent the day in the Solvang area, around 2pm we arrived at Chumash Casino to play some poker. I put my name in for the $2-$4 and $3-$6 Hold'em games and was called for a seat at the $2-$4 table. The poker room has a promotion called "High Hand" which means every hour someone in the poker room will win $100 for having the highest hand of the hour. The promotion ends at 5pm. Around 4:55pm I was dealt pocket kings, I raised the pot. 2 people called, the flop came 3 aces. At this point I had aces full of kings, which can only be beaten by somebody holding the last ace or tie with someone else who has pocket kings, otherwise I was the lone favorite to win this hand. I bet the whole way and the 2 people called me to the end with smaller pocket pairs. I looked up at the clock after collecting my winnings and it was exactly 5pm. The dealer calls over the floorman to let him know that I had a high hand and the current high hand was aces full of jacks, which I had beat. The floorman told me he was going to review the video and see what time my hand started, if it was before 5pm I would win the $100 promotion. I already knew that the hand ended exactly at 5pm so I was sure I was going to win the extra $100. About 15 minutes later he came back and told me that my hand started after 5pm after review of the video and the person that had aces full of jacks will win the $100 and I get nothing.
Now I was very calm about it, I didn't object, I didn't make a scene. I accepted his decision to give the promotion to a local player instead of me when I won it outright by their rules, but because I am not a regular and he's never seen me before, he gave it to somebody who will come back again and again.
Was I treated fairly? No, I was not. I was robbed pretty much and I couldn't do anything about it, it's not like they would let me view the video, the dealer that dealt that hand knew for sure that the hand started before 5pm because we both looked at the clock when the hand ended, but she wouldn't go against her superior and risk losing her job over doing the right thing, I don't really blame her.
So I guess the moral of this story is, when you're a stranger in a strange land, you will have a disadvantage. I won't be stepping foot in this place ever again, I learned my lesson. I will make sure everyone I know is aware of this shady place and if they think that locals and regulars will keep this place afloat and they don't need any tourists money, yeah good luck with that. -
Review from Angie A.
Oxnard, CA
3/5/2009
It's Friday night, where did Mom, Dad, and Grandma go?! To 'mash it, of course!!
Look, if you live in the 805, Chumash is (unfortunately) thee entertainment staple of the area. It's penny slot/black jack heaven, a breeding ground for UCSB/SLO students and retirees alike.
Alcohol is not served here. If it were, it would be an automatic 5 stars because everybody loves getting sloshed with the parentals and flailing around to the music of the house cover band. -
Review from Ryan W.
9/8/2009
Ohhhhh Chumash. Why are you the only hotel/resort/casino between Los Angeles and San Francisco? More important, why don't you serve alcohol in your zone of debauchery? I like to get drunk while losing my money...it's the essential casino lube, if you will.
I give you credit for having nice rooms, although your elevators are the slowest ones I have ever experienced. Not slow as in MGM Grand slow where you wait forever for one to come. Slow, as in they move at the slowest pace up and down that I have ever seen. Why is it that you have such geriatric elevators?
One night, while staying at Chumash, we rolled in to find that they were giving away some Lotus Elise vehicles. Nice! While waiting in the casino for the big drawing, they came over the loudspeaker and apologized but the computer system was down. No drawing. Bummer! The good news: they mailed both of us $200 as an apology. The bad news: it was in free play credit so we ended up losing even more by coming back to play it. Suckers!!! -
Review from Janine E.
Seattle, WA
4/6/2007
I'm not much of a gambler, so when I've gone to the casino it's been for a reason other than gambling (i.e. seeing the hilarious Kathy Griffin). They don't serve alcohol on the casino floor, so you have to get your drink on in the restaurant bar upstairs. For events in the auditorium you get folding chairs and non-alcoholic drinks....boo! Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of fun at Chumash, it's just that the casino floor kind of depresses me.... seems to be full of people who look like they spend far too much time in the casino, and lose more than they win....
I tend to stick to the Nickel slot machines....one of the dealers once pissed me off by accusing me of being a "trust fund baby" because I told him I was born and raised in SB. I had to inform him that I am in fact putting myself through grad school, hence only making the minimum bets of $5 at blackjack and stopping when I lost $20.
The Willows Restuarant is very good....well, we only had desserts and drinks, but the Tiramissou was HUGE and rich, and the servings of wine were generous as well. Impeccable service.
The Creekside Buffet holds a special "Chocolate Indulgence" every Thursday night, claiming to serve over 40 chocolate desserts. Generally I avoid buffets, as the idea of mass quantities of food just sitting for hours in open containers freaks me out....call me a hypochondriac, but buffets just scream "food borne illness" to me. However, I couldn't miss a chance to gorge on 40 different kinds of chocolate treats....so my sister, a good friend and I made a special trip to investigate. To be honest, the desserts were filling but nothing spectacular...I'm glad that I checked it out, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend the buffet to anyone. I can't comment on the entrees because I feasted only on chocolate that night. -
Review from LovesToTravel M.
Palmdale, CA
6/2/2009
I didn't completely hate my experience, but that's probably because I finally learned to quit before I was suicidal.
Pros:
1. Weekday lunch buffet was about $15. I've spent more for less.
I'll think of more positive remarks and revise later. I'm sure there are more but this just wasn't a casino that I would frequent often by choice.
Cons:
1. Coffee shop is closed. So, you must eat at the buffet.
2. No booze anywhere. Say what you want about my desire to drink but, to me, cheap wine and slots are the perfect pair.
3. Crappy slots. I love interactive play - I really missed not having my Wheel of Fourtune and/or Top Dollar machines.
4. Not enough $1 machines
5. High roller room stunk. Only a few $5 machines - the rest were $1.
6. Not the casino's fault, but I loathe those video slots with so many rows that you have no idea what the heck you're doing. You know the ones - usually the 1/5/10 cent machines. I saw so many 25 cent and $1 of these suckers that I nearly ran from the casino screaming.
7. No offense to anyone reading this that is under 21, but I don't think I'm a fan of casinos that cater to 18-20 yr olds. First, there's no alcohol. Second, get most youngin's at a table and they will just tick you off by not playing well. It's not fun and I believe that a casino, where someone else's play can ruin my play and lose me money, is a major turn off.
Despite all this, we will probably go again before we leave town. I want to try the poker room for a couple hours. Baby needs new shoes -
Review from Sara H.
Los Angeles, CA
3/4/2010
I love slot machines. So I was excited to go to Chumash Casino while staying in Solvang. My boyfriend and I took a shuttle from our hotel and I was ready to get hammered and play nickle slots.
The problem? No alcohol. The only alcohol served is in the bar area of the fancy restaurant and you have to buy an appetizer. And they only have 4 apps to choose from -- 3 of them being well over $15 each. We passed.
The good, old school style slot machines are $1/play or MORE. BOOO. I hate the new style slot machines and that's pretty much all Chumash has.
But you can smoke inside the casino. That's sort of a plus. Sort of. -
Review from Megan B.
6/19/2008
Any casino that does not have Bingo 7 days a week is not okay with me. I made it a point to check their website before going to make sure they had Bingo on Saturday, and it didn't say anything about it being closed, so I figured the coast was clear. 30 minute trip for NOTHING.
The casino was nothing special. It makes me glad that I live in a state and a time that makes smoking illegal inside public places. The place was so packed when we went which made it hard to find an empty machine or a seat at the card tables. The buffet upstairs (the only safe haven from the cigarette smoke) was ridiculously overpriced so we opted for the cafe downstairs. The food wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting, but the service was abominable.
The only thing that would have saved the trip was some booze, but of course there was none to be found. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Visalia, CA
4/1/2010
The buffet was really good. Not better than a Vegas buffet but definitely better than Hometown or Sizzler.
The casino was nice enough, a little smaller than the other Indian casinos I am used to. I didn't like their selection of slot machines though. They were almost all video machines, hardly any reels. Where is the fun in that?
At any rate, if I am in the coastal area, I would stop by again. -
Review from veronica d.
Downey, CA
7/2/2010
It's very hidden - if you don't keep an eye out you might miss it. Decided to go here because it's advertised all over the AAA magazine and any print in SB. I had just came from Vegas so this casino does not compare, but my mom wanted to stop by.
Their reward club has a good deal for newbies - pretty much you get free play (credit) for half of what u spend - so if you spend $20 you will get 10 credits of free play.
However I did not like their selection of tables and slots. I did not see a roulette table which is what I play but I did see card tables. And their slot selection sucks!!!! There was one wall with $0.25 slots, which was probably ten machines, and all other slots were penny slots or dollar slots.
Their non-smoking section is small.
Their toilets are cool - you press a green button and you automatically get a new toilet seat cover (haven't seen that before) -- yes that was my highlight of this casino = /
My mom came out winning $50 in the penny slots so she had a great experience, but then again she plays those slots in Vegas.
The casino is nice and modern, not tacky or old like some Indian Casinos I've been to in San Diego, I just did not like the slot selection. -
Review from Jennifer W.
Camarillo, CA
12/9/2007
I came here for a concert after wine tasting all day. It would have been nice to get in from the cold air, but I found myself longing for fresh clean air no matter how cold. The whole casino reeked of cigarette smoke, and as a non-smoker I hated it. The Willows restaurant and buffet were way too expensive for the quality, so we went down to the cafe. For $10.95 my friend and I had the fried chicken dinner. The chicken was disgusting, but the salad, mashed potatoes and bread were okay.
The sound quality of the concert was impressive and the huge screens helped us in the nose bleed section actually feel like we were too a part of the concert. The security was cool with letting us go up to the stage, so I got to enjoy front row seats for little cost.
I was impressed with the customer service. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Not to be a weirdo, but I had never seen public restrooms as clean and sanitary. The seat protectors are already on, so by motion sensors it moves a new protector for each person. That was neat, but I wondered if it just kept circling around and around. I'm going to have to look into that contraption. Regardless, it was interesting.
There were tons of hot Marines walking around in uniform. If I go back to Chumash anytime soon, it will only be either for a concert or to scope out the Marines. -
Review from Ryan C.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/8/2009
Headed here on the way back from SD to eat some buffet and so my uncle could do some gambling.
This place was a bad idea. They wouldn't let one person who was under 18 in, even though she was just going to the buffet to eat. I've never been at a place that was that strict. She had to wait in the lobby in a completely different building.
The buffet was $20 and ended up being $15 after a discount from getting a club card. The buffet was not very good at all. Got there in between meals. Nothing was good from the morning besides the tri-tip, which needed salsa to be good. The chicken fried steak was decent. Then we waited it out until they started with the Mexican buffet. Chicken fajitas were ok. It was nice to have lots of toppings on the salsa bar. The tacos were good and pretty much the only saving grace. They did have frozen virgin strawberry daiquiris, which was cool, except they weren't sweet enough. Overall, you can find better for your $15.
Did some gambling. I like the cheap slots and this place had lots of 'em. Didn't win anything though. Nowhere close.
Find another casino if you can.
