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Chumash Casino
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- No
23 reviews for Chumash Casino
The Good:
*There was plenty of parking.
*The casino is clean and new. The aesthetics of the casino itself took me awhile to figure out, and I think that maybe they were trying for a modern/avant-garde look, but it came across as quirky and friendly. (Figure THAT out!)
*The buffet is quite good. It's not a top-ace-top-of-the-line buffet, but for the quality of food and the selection, it's a bargain. They had a quite good ramen station (yum yum YUM), and the desserts were very good. Note: if you go downstairs and sign up for the player's card beforehand, you get a decent discount on the buffet.
The Bad:
*Is in a weird location, a bit in the middle of nowhere. It's very close to Solvang (which is where we were headed to when we saw it and stopped here on the way back to Santa Barbara), but not-so-close to other towns. If you blink while driving, you might miss it.
*Their slot selection is limited. I would have liked more variety. I'm a Vegas girl, and picky as hell when it comes to slots and video poker.
The Ugly:
*No alcohol anywhere to be found. I do not need to expound any further.
This place can be best defined by one word: tacky.
The place isn't great, but it isn't bad, average at best. It's located 90 minutes from Los Angeles, near the Danish-inspired town of Solvang and it has plenty of parking. It is a growing resort and they keep expending and recently opened a new wing in their complex.
I didn't sleep on location or go to one of their shows, instead I went there for about 30 minutes to gamble (and lose) $20 just for fun. They have a quite a few slot machines and a few tables for craps, poker and blackjack.
They also have a more serious room for experienced poker players. There's nothing special about this place and I don't think that I'd bother going again. The only reason I was there in the first place was because I drove up to visit Solvang... Also, smoking is permitted inside the casino so your lungs might get an ass whooping if you stay there too long.
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!!!
Very odd place here. I don't really know what it is. It seemed very generic. There were not any of the slots I am use to seeing in Vegas, Tahoe, Reno or even Chukchansi or Table Mountain. They were generic, "no brand"...if you know what I mean. The service at the cafe is horrible! We stood at the "wait to be seated" sign for 10 minutes while there was an employee standing at the register. We asked her if we could be seated and she said "someone will be with you" and went back to doing nothing. Another employee was sitting at the bar. She just looked at us. I said, "can you seat us" and she got up...and walked into the kitchen.
Back to the casino. There are tons of $1, .01, .05 and .10 slots, but hardly any .25 slots. Very strange. We went and got players club card and had to wait some more. There were 2 people behind the counter but they were to busy talking to help us right away. After a few minutes they acknowledge us and helped us. When we asked about e-cash, we were told that only players that have been coming for 3 months get free e-cash. Every other casino (Nevada and Indian) give you at least $10 just for signing up.
So, I would recommend avoiding this place. It is just not up to par with other casinos in California.
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.
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 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!
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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.
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Pretty basic Indian Gaming Casino, but the dealers were particularly friendly.
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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Nicer than I expected.
I would like to stay there because the hotel part looked very nice.
The casino was a typical casino, smoky and full of money snatching machines and dealers.
The buffet is what we went for. Decent food. I would definitely go back. We went on the all you can eat lobster night. Although I didn't pile 6 or 7 on my plate like most people did, in fact I only ate one myself, but it was well worth the price.
The prime rib was yummy too as was all the other items.
The buffet was on the small side, but then again it wasn't Vegas where they do everything over the top and big I would definitely go back
NOTE: those of you with kids under 18, kids are not allowed anywhere in the casino INCLUDING the buffet unless you are a hotel guest or u go to the concierge first and get a "visitor" wrist band so they can walk straight thru to the buffet.
And they have no video game room like some casinos and hotels in Reno or Vegas have
Anyone interested in breathing second hand smoke? Line up at Chumash if so.
This little casino outside of Solvang is pretty marginal. It features too many computerized multi-machines, no alcohol, and reeks of smoke.
We played video poker for about 1/2 hour and left cause we couldn't deal with the lack of adequate ventilation...oh, and we don't want lung cancer.
Oh the Chumash.
Back when I used to go to UCSB in the old days, the Chumash Casino was this little bungalow with some slot machines. Back then, it had a neon sign and it was just too ghetto to be true. As a white trash hero, I loved it.
Then, flash forward a couple of years, I get back from Japan, and my mom's like, "Let's hit up the Chumash!" I thought, "Ha, that'll be a random distraction, let's go."
As we drove up, I couldn't believe my eyes. The little bungalow with the neon sign was gone. It had turned into the Chumash Casino Resort. There's now a hotel and spa... and when you walk in, you think you are in Vegas.
At first. Really, the more you hang out, the more you realize it is kinda like retarded Vegas. There is a buffet! But it was nothing special. There are free drinks! But they are all non-alcoholic.
The slots are fun. They have a lot of penny machines, and fairly new looking machines in general. Recently they added more machines to some random hallways and even replaces the concession stand with more machines... you have to find the concession cubby hole now to get your free (tiny) bottle of Chumash water. Also, steer away from the cappuccino, it is just sweet powered stuff... blech.
But here's the deal, join the play club and they will eventually send you free buffet lunch tickets. Then at least it is a free mediocre buffet. And they have lots of parking and the staff is _usually_ pleasant. So over all, it's not bad.
And when you lose, you can just consider is a donation to the Chumash nation! In anycase, not a great casino, but not a bad place to visit on your way to Solvang, right?
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chumash lol wow. how you have caused me so much joy and so much pain at the blackjack table you little son of a bitch! man me and my boy used to drive all the way from valencia to chumash and just mash on blackjack all night and drink (we went several years ago when chumash wasnt a resort... it was just a big ass tent). shoutout to the blackjack dealer who somehow knew the exact card coming out of the shoot and helped me win a few hundred dollars!
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My husband's company holiday party has been held here for the past 4 years and I've gone the past 2 years. I don't get to attend the company festivities but we meet up afterwards.
The rooms were nice but they smell like the typical stuffy, musky casino hotel rooms. The rooms are pretty noisy. I could hear people walking past the door all night long since we were on the floor that led you to the casino. I also heard toilets flushing all night long. Hopefully it was more than 1 toilet. Otherwise, someone was not having a good time that night.
I'm used to Vegas casinos so I was like "Where are the Craps Tables and the Roulette table? " Well, they don't have them. They do have 3 Card Poker which is the best game ever. I don't really know the rules or how I win but I don't mind when I get chips handed to me practically every hand. I broke even after playing for 3 hours which I say is good. 2 of the co-workers walked away up $1000 and $2500.
Ate at the Willows, their only fine dining restaurant. I'll get to that in the review for them later.
I would've given them only 3 stars but I added a 4th star because of the FREE cocktail and appetizers they have in the Nojoqui Room from 6pm-8pm for hotel guests. Why people don't take full advantage of this, I don't know! It's FREE booze and food. They had BBQ pork satay, chicken nuggets, assorted cheeses and veggies. Nothing fancy, but it's FREE! The cocktail waitress Daisy is so nice and remembered everyone from last year. She even reserved the fireplace are for our group. If you go, be nice to Daisy and tip well. She really works her butt off and her bro-in-law is Mr Chuck Lidell.
They also have a live band there and they were playing Xmas music and Daisy and the other waitress sang some songs. Then some patron sang Piano Man and sounded amazing. It's an older crowd but really fun. Get there right at 6 though to ensure you get in.
We were lucky to get a group rate of $170. I think normally it's close to $400 which is outrageous!! But, it's still nice and you should go.
Slot machines galore. A lot of penny machines. Stinks so bad of cigarette's. Only non-smoking is upstairs next to a fish restaurant and buffet. GROSS! Only upside is I left with twice the money I brought in!
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Great place to go if you need a place to stop while driving down 101. The girls and I played black jack. There was no 7 cards pai gao and that is what we like to play. There were a lot of slot machines though.
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Came for the lobster buffet. It was my first time here so I had to sign up with their club chumash for the buffet discount. What was cool was that my gf and I each got a new card that gives you $50 free play at the slots and with $100 combines we won $75...which covered the $30 buffet and then some. Needless to say I was quite happy to have a free lobster buffet and the prime rib/oysters/clam chowder that went with it. I had a total of 4.5 lobsters....quite delicious. Aside from the food we also played bingo. It was a long 4 hrs but it was interesting to see so many old people playing bingo under one roof. We didn't win anything but before we took off I was up at the blackjack table. Needless to say overall I was up for the whole trip. Free food, money won....what else can I ask for at a casino.
Stop #3 on the Santa Ynez weekend tour. Poker room is 10 tables on a Saturday night, mostly limit and no-limit. Aside from some UCSB youngins, most of the players are friendly older local types. Plenty of blackjack tables on the main floor. Overall, I would consider coming back here, the place has a nice positive vibe to it.
no this aint vegas, but still, i was pleasantly surprised when i came here. the rooms were nicer than i thought- even nicer than vegas....and the cafe food was better than dennys! (skip, the buffet, eat at the chumash cafe!!)
