I appreciate a good steakhouse, and the Steakhouse at the Agua Caliente in Palm Springs (there’s a location at the Rancho Mirage property too) is a very good steakhouse. It makes sense to have a steakhouse in a casino - the type of place where a high roller can feel properly pampered and the rest of us can visit as a special-occasion restaurant.

At $32, my grandma Phyllis Harris (a self-proclaimed expert in all things relating to a bargain) calls it the best deal in the area. The thick-cut slab is rimmed with a full inch of fat, cooked to your liking and served in its own juices alongside a scoop of mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables.

It’s the type of plate I imagine ordering at a casino, designed to be a conciliatory deal after you lose some money at the blackjack table. Skip the salsa and go straight to the $32, 12-ounce prime rib dinner. Each table is set with a serving contraption that resembles a miniature tree with four branches, designed to hold four ramekins of the house salsas. And yes, you can have a cup of ranch with anything.Īcross from 360 Sports is the restaurant Café One Eleven, which I imagine is named for Highway 111, the main road that runs through the Coachella Valley. The fat, golden brown cylinders are full of melted cheese and far superior to smaller tots, which now seem sad and empty. Whatever you order, make sure there is a plate of the stuffed tots on the table.

There’s even a burger that manages to make good use of a local ingredient (the spicy Wagyu burger features a date habanero aioli). It looks like a miniature sportsbook at a Vegas casino, complete with large wraparound LED screens, cozy chairs and a full restaurant where you can order most handheld foods associated with watching sports. This tiny casino, located about a 15-minute drive east of Palm Springs, is home to 360 Sports, one of the best sports bars in the area (there’s a sister location at the Agua Caliente in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage too).

Agua caliente resort and casino