Wind Creek Southland Casino and Hotel

The food was really good and seasoned well. I tried tacos, then a smash burger with fries, strawberry cheesecake, and German chocolate cake. My husband went for shrimp, a smash burger, and cheesecake. The woman who greeted me was lovely and smiling, and her “all you can eat” welcome got my visit off to a great start. A gentleman showed us to our table, the servers cleared it, and the hostess stopped by to welcome us too. I'm not sure the service will be just as good next time, but this visit was well worth it.

It's a nice hotel, though our room wasn't fully cleaned when we arrived. The bed was made, but the bathroom was a mess, with dirty towels left around. One cleaner followed me into the room to pick up the soiled linen, which should've been taken care of before we came in. Later, two housekeepers cleaned the room and remade the bed with fresh linen. We didn't want to make a fuss, though we could have. I'm used to larger casinos, but this one was cool. We ate at Fabio restaurant, where the service was just okay and the food was great.

Chef Rick at the Alto restaurant on the casino penthouse floor is a magician with food. I think his restaurant could be headed for the first Michelin star among the Fabio Viviani offerings. It's that good, and worth the trip for the meal alone. The casino itself is a nice place to spend time, have some fun, or stay the night, and maybe even win. The floor is small, the robot cocktail mixers are too complicated to try, and the free refreshments on the east side are often out of service, so you have to cross the whole floor to find another. The bars close too early, only one food place stays open late, and EV charging is for employees only. The hotel rooms are gorgeous and modern for the rates. The all-you-can-eat buffet has five dining themes and options, plus a dedicated dessert counter, for $29-40 per person depending on lunch or dinner. It's probably the best deal in the area and worth a stop off I-80/94 just for the buffet. The machines seem to pay pretty well, and this is the first place I've seen that displays the house take percentages in the lobby, surely to needle competitors, but the transparency is good to see. Their rewards app offers tons of discounts on hotel stays, free play, and food.

I had a small gathering with friends for my 60th birthday, and we had so much fun. The junior suite was exceptional, nice, and matched my decor to a tee. The hotel staff were friendly and helpful, and the bellmen were great when we arrived and left. Highly recommend this hotel.