My favorite part of visiting San Diego's Barona Valley was the food! Wonderful Native American cuisine lovingly prepared. faithful to authentic, age-old Barona Band of Mission Indian recipes. The casino houses several restaurants including; Barona Oaks Steak House, Sage Café and Seasons Fresh Buffet. The well-appointed steak house offers the finest Southwestern cuisine. I enjoyed an inch thick Buffalo Rib Eye steak that was out of this world. Sage Cafe serves fry bread with every meal. Almost as soon as you sit down your server arrives with a basket full of still warm fry bread with condiments: fresh comb honey, powdered white sugar and freshly grated cinnamon, on the side. But even naked fry bread is a dream come true. This particular fry bread is as small as a corn tortilla, about the same diameter as a saucer, fluffy as a cloud and without a single trace of oil, or grease. They are made the age-old way in a cast iron pot, one at a time. I liked mine smeared with strawberry jam, but they are also great to scoop up refried beans, and guacamole or meat with. The crowning glory of native cuisine has to be the fry bread taco, what we might recognize as a tostada, or open-faced sandwich. In the Barona version lean chopped steak tops the dinner plate-size fry bread followed by heaps of crisp shredded iceberg lettuce, finely grated cheese, sour cream, fresh mashed guacamole and diced tomatoes. Another popular dish is the empanada, or meat turnover, made from a fry bread casing folded over delectable chopped steak. There's plenty to keep you busy for a day trip, or a weekend. There's AmBience Day Spa on the seventh floor of the 400-room hotel. The Barona Valley Museum has a nice assortment of Barona Mission Indian basketry, and other fascinating artifacts. The sprawling 18-hole golf course is gorgeous. Barona Valley is a spectacular hunk of land studded with majestic old growth oaks, and other fine trees. read more

OM"FingG!!! I saw this place was voted best 24 hour restaurant in SD.. sorrrry.. Hell no!. Atmosphere, good. Service, good. Food.. poor. Lets get started... Its far far far away... actually at the Barona Casino.. I drove out there specifically because it was supposed so incredible.. and if you see the prices you might think its a fine dining establishment. but NO. Its like a nice Dennys. My order came with clam chowder and a wedge salad.. the chowder was good but the say its a bowl.. no.. its actually a small cup.. about a 6 ounce. The wedge salad was literally a small section of a small head of lettuce cut out... with some onions, one slice of tomato and some Mexican cheese... without a doubt the crappiest salad I ever had. The red onions were so soggy it was like regurgitated.. YUCK!!! Denny's salad is much better I ordered a walnut shrimp the walnuts were burnt and the sauce was too lemony.. maybe sour something in it idk.. shrimp were good size. My friend ordered a steak.. it was fine.. asked for medium cook but it was over.. nearly well, done The green beans needed anything to helpt it.. Vietnamese egg rolls, 4 rolls were $10 and the lettuce I got to wrap them up was so small, it was obvious it came from the rind, or the middle of a stalk of romaine lettuce not really suitable to eat, and their was no rice noodle like there was supposed to be. There was no mint with it and the egg rolls, while crispy, were slightly overcooked. I also order the Lo Mein.. which was terrible.. just noodles and shrimp.. no vegetables.. The noodles were plain and the sauce was not great. there was no vegetables in the noodles.. should be some carrots, bean sprouts, maybe a little cabbage.. anything to give it some character... really, I tasted better instant yakisoba at Vons'.. super disappointing, the shrimp were tiny and hard.. definitely overcooked not even close to being worth the 19.95. Entire bill was 65.50 sad for my waitress I was so pissed I only left 10%.. I know this will fall on deaf ears as the Indians could care less.. their in the business of taking money.. not delivering quality. FTGuys.. read more

Today third time, we have tried to eat at the Sage cafe at Barona, each time first thing ask for is how many and the players card. As soon as we say we don't have one we are told an extensive waiting time even if the restaurant doesn't appear crowded. Today wait was 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hour wait. I'm getting the feeling the cafe is only for high rollers, perhaps you should change it to the High Limit Cafe. We always liked Barona better than Viejas but since the pandemic you have become very disappointing. read more

Food food where is life without food, decided to go out as a family to this particular restaurant in the occasion of my brothers birthday, the wait to even enter was close to half an hour but that's fine we get it they were busy, the bread that they bring you as snacks was pretty good I would say, also the soup was to die for, I can still taste the goodness of it, although the actual food did take close to an hour to come but that's fine because we kept eating the breads lol, the steak had a good portion I couldn't finish it all after eating so much before hand and the waitress was nice, overall a very good experience plus the family had fun, would recommend and would come back! read more

Sage Cafe - The best soup, chicken tortilla soup, has avocados, the bomb! - American Near Me - Lakeside, California

See all

This was my first trip to the Sage Cafe, which is located inside the Barona Casino. I had a friend who used to cook here and he recommended the hamburgers. I checked with Yelp and looked over the menu that was attached to their link. Unfortunately, the menu on the Yelp link has changed from the actual menu in the restaurant. No longer do they serve signature burgers, including the Heart Attack and others. Now, you pick from a choice of three toppings and can build your own burger. I choose the grilled mushrooms, bacon and American cheese for mine. Mu companion ordered the Baby back pork ribs. Both meals arrived quickly and looked good. My fries were obviously frozen steak type fries, but they were crisp and hot. The burger was generous and cooked to order. My companion said the Baby Back ribs were much better than the ones she had at Bulls Smokin BBQ, AND she ended up with a take home box full, for less than what we had paid at Smokin Bulls. Our waiter was friendly and stopped by several times to make sure everything was OK. Overall, a very good meal. Good value and we had a booth without waiting, which was nice. I will be back, maybe next time for the French Dip sandwich, or the Chicken Fried steak. read more

I've only came here for brunch but every single time it is as good as it gets! The prices are reasonable and the food is great! I highly recommend the french toast. It comes with two, large, thick slices of french toast coated with cereal/granola-- a little crunch but soft at the same time! read more

I agree with recent reviews. If this is how they think to get people back after covid their wrong. 30 minute wait for a table and you look in and the place looks empty, so after losing 40 bucks on tight slots, we sit down and same as previous reviews you wait for any type of server to acknowledge you and start ordering. Had to ask if you still get bread with dinner. my wife and mom ordered 12 oz prime rib ,I ordered the almost 29 dollar 14 oz ribeye. The prime rib came out looking dry and my ribeye looked like someone pounded it flat and the side dishes of potatoes were just lukewarm. Prices have seemed to go way up and the food is not on par with the increase. The food was not that good to want to return and by what I saw in the casino and my personal losses of the night the floor is definitely taking peoples money. To me Barona has lost its flair. Managers need to read recent reviews The food and service is not good read more

My mom did her birthday dinner here since the casino comp'd it. We had to use all of the comp though ($125) and hardly anything was enough to fit the bill (literally) other than the lobster / steak dinner. There was only 3 of us and most foods were in the $15 range. Dude's, this is not going to be a michelin star restaurant - I would compare it to an upscale Denny's with nice font. My meal plan at Barona will continue to be the buffet (I'm a sampler, a Tapas, family style eater) and the barona coffee company (beats out S*bucks, all the time, every time) read more

Had a chance to eat at this place...steak with all the trimings yummy steak dinner thaks again to barona hotel and casino

Of all the places we ate in the casino, this was my least favorite, but it was still ok. The service took quite a while, but the food was good. And cheap. Careful with the butter packets. I opened one for my toast, but it had completed melted in its package and spilled all over my pants. Just check that the butter you're grabbing isn't next to the hot toast. read more

This place is super affordable and the prices match up to the food. I have zero complaints on the food. Definitely fresh when served. The Indian bread in the begin while looking at the menu is bombbbbbb either w honey and brown sugar or just with butter. Kind of took a while to get our food or any refills on water and the check but it was bearable. Service was pretty average. read more

Sage Cafe - Panini BLT - American Near Me - Lakeside, California

See all

Food is very good. Service is excellent. It did take 2 hrs. to get seated, but was worth waiting. We had a chicken poblano soup that was sooo good. Ribs are delicious. Recommend!! read more

OMG, their burgers... So juicy and tender with 3 toppings of your choice. It is only for $6.95! Chicken Tortilla Soup was good as well, but my favorite was definitely the burger! I loved their patio with great view of mountains and pond. My husband and I definitely enjoyed the food and view all together. I would love to come back for another time! read more

it's free; if you get a food voucher with your players card at the Club Barona desk. Steak & Eggs = 7.5 IPay Benedict = 8 Omelet w/Jack, scallions, sausage & avocado = 6.5 read more

came here for breakfast hoping to get some fry bread and they dont serve it for breakfast !!!!! ughhhhh So i ended up getting chicken fried steak and it was just ok, The service wasnt the greatest also. We sat in the area overlooking the golf course and that was the best part read more

So I was given a comp so off we go for dinner I was only originally given $40.00 for a comp but Glen said tell them if it is more and you will be all set not to pay since we were dining in a group of 4. We ordered, our waitress was very nice, my niece had several questions and she had all the answers. Food was good the indian fry bread is amazing, and the chinese food is very good as well. Sure enough our bill was well over $40.00, and I told her what Glen said she came back and said no problem you are all set. Very Very nice, I have never had any problems at Barona the service from everyone there seems to be impeccable. read more

Food is yummy and inexpensive. Wait time can be a little long but its worth the wait. The french toast is to die for!! Staff is polite as well. read more

Sage Cafe - Amazing french toast!! - American Near Me - Lakeside, California

Forget the buffet! This spot blew my mind away. The buffet line was 2 hours wait so I decided to come here and it was the best decision ever made. I ordered the appetizer sampler along with the ribeye steak and lobsters. The ribeye was cooked to perfection and it melts in my mouth and the lobster was very flavorful. The appetizer sampler as chicken wings, jalapeño poppers, cheese sticks. And calamari. And to my surprise, every item on the sampler was high quality and amazing! I could also say that those chicken wings on the sampler was also the best wings i ever had. It was just the perfectly breaded and the quality of the taste you can taste. It's almost like a fancy restaurant, except all the fancy quirks, just amazing food. My partner had the prime rib which is cut extremely thick! I will come here again on my next visit read more

Sage Cafe - Best steak (14oz ribeye) and lobster dinner I've ever had hands down - American Near Me - Lakeside, California

We just got back from the cafe for breakfast. Mary Ann was our waitress she was amazing. On top of everything and the food was so damn good. We loved everything we had. Had a fantastic few of the lake watched the birds. Seriously go here and eat. read more

This place is fancy and serves a wide variety of food. Was hoping to try the ramen and steak but I came around 3:30 am and they had stopped serving at 3. Split the buffalo wings, calamari and steak fajitas with a friend. Wings and calamri were a tad too spicy and greasy but that's comfort food so to be expected. read more

Warm, soft, and ready to eat... ...Indian Fry Bread! Given to you before your meal comes and is a high class pre-meal dessert when you add honey, powdered sugar and cinnamon. Flatiron steak ($15) and New York Steak with Garlic Butter ($19) a great deal and totally worth the price! They have 4 pages of food to choose from and all at great prices (Burgers and Sandwiches around $8) considering it looks and feels like a high-class restaurant when you enter and dine. Only reason they get 4 stars is because the place fits like 200, but it's always half empty and you have to wait 30 minutes to get in. read more

I have nothing but praise for this cafe nestled in the Barona Casino. First of all, their prices are excellent, but what you get for the money is even more impressive. First you are given a basket of fresh gourmet breads, and since many of their appetizers are $5-$6 you feel like you can indulge a little. When you order a sandwich you are given the choice of fries, onion rings, slaw or even an delicious fruit skewer. It also includes a cup of soup at no extra charge and they even throw in a pickle to boot. Their portions are very generous and everything I have ever eaten there is exceptionally tasty. Don't have room for dessert? No worries, they throw in a few gourmet chocolates as a final token. All this and since you don't even have to pay tax you really get a lot of bang for your buck in a beautiful cafe featuring a fireplace and gorgeous mountain view. I should also mention that the wait staff is extremely friendly and attentive. Although we are not big on gambling, we enjoy coming here for dinner, but also for the pleasant country drive and after-dinner walk through the gardens on the lovely, well kept grounds. read more

Always a great meal at a reasonable price. Love the French Onion Soup! Always great service (but that's standard for Barona). read more

This place is a hidden gem in the Barona casino. It is not located near the food court/buffet area. This nice restaurant is spacious and comfortable. You can earn points to eat here by playing in the casino. I had the tortilla soup. The soup is very good with just the right amount of cheese and tortilla bits. I ordered the New York steak and it came with a large amount of string beans and a huge baked potato. The potato is baked to perfection with spreads on the side. The steak came medium rare as requested. It was large and the meal is over filling. The only complaint I have about this place is that the water definitely tastes like it came out of a dirty sink. But who goes to Sage Café for water? Haha. Order a drink instead. read more

So this is one of our favorite spots to go(mostly my dad) he says we don't need to pay tax! I find that funny. Anyways...to start we usually do a 10-15 min wait till we get seated. Servers tend to introduce themselves after another 10 minutes but this time we were greeted by Garrett immediately. Hands down for this server..anything we needed he was on it and any problem we had he would fix it ASAP. Now the food...we always go for dinner and they always start you with dinner bread..it tastes okay if you ask me! We always start with 2 appetizers which is the calamari and the wings!..they are absolutely perfect..the calamari is the best here..from all the places we've been too. Now for dinner I always get ribeye steak. Ribeye gets served with mushrooms and onions on top...hmm I'm getting hungry again. Anyways I order my steak medium..sometimes they cook it more than needed but it always comes out juicy. Mashed potatoes are okay and the vegetable is juicy as well. Only thing THEY NEED TO WORK ON..is their temperatures on their steaks. My mom orders the prime rib dinner which comes with free ice cream. They never get the temperature right on her steak. Other than that it's great food! read more

Sage Cafe - Ribeye steak - American Near Me - Lakeside, California

See all

this place is my favorite part about coming to Barona!! I've been here several times and the food has never disappointed. they have a lot of food options, from traditional to Mexican and Mediterranean, and every meal here absolutely slaps! when coming here it is always a MUST that I order the chicken tortilla soup. it's the best thing on the menu and it always satisfies. the meat is amazing, the chicken is cooked perfectly, and the rice is very complimentary. this place is a true five stars! read more

Sage Cafe - chicken tortilla soup - American Near Me - Lakeside, California

The food is really good and the service was fast and the steak and eggs are delicious

We went to the Sage Cafe today for lunch and were disappointed, especially after high Yelp reviews. If your mouth is watering for fry bread, don't go at lunchtime! It's only served at dinner. The dining area with big glass windows was pretty, and the rolls they served were indeed tasty so that was good. I got the grilled prime rib sandwich, but was very disappointed to take a look at the piece of meat and discover a half dollar size of fat in the meat. Fat was elsewhere as well. This should've been trimmed. VERY unappealing! The onion rings were crispy but nearly all thick batter, little onion. The server brought me a small cup of fresh fruit to replace it and that fruit was good. But the onion rings would be much better with a lighter batter! The server did her job but seemed very rushed and not happy. Looking around, it seemed none of the servers had smiles. The restaurant area where we sat was pleasant but we had to walk a LONG way from the handicapped parking area (my relative uses a walker) through a smoky casino. So, well, it's a casino. I had high hopes for this place, but won't return, and will forewarn others. There may be a better San Diego choice. read more

If I could give a negative star I would.... I would put then at the bottom of the list to stop and eat if u are hungry late night. The later it gets the lazier the workers get and it's so sad. Me and my friend came at about 1:40 to eat after going ti the casino.... We didn't get any recognition from any servers after they gave us our water for about 30 minutes..... And the workers were walking around looking at us while they was folding fuckin towels like tf is that. Once we finally got served our server was sooooo rude I wanted to drop my drink on the floor and say whoops. Was about 15 seconds from walking out but I can't get a steak at 2 am anywhere else so it kinda got lucky..... But 0 stars if not negative read more

A recent visit to the Barona Resort & Casino brought my friends and I the pleasure of lunching at Sage Cafe. Great people, great ambiance, great food and great prices. Although it's a short drive from the city, you feel like you are so far away because of the quiet beauty surrounding you. Would definitely recommend and will visit again if I'm in the area. read more

I just wanted breakfast! I set no one ever came to take my order had to get their attention for service. The waiter said she is going to take her break. Sage had good stuff long time ago! The stuff needs to get training or hire people that can do the job. read more

Breakfast was ok. If you get eggs don't get scrambled. Most plain scrambled eggs ever. Corn beef hash was nothing to write home about. The pastries we got were excellent though and the coffee was good. 4 stars because the patio seating was nice and the servers were friendly and awesome. read more

Food was good. I ordered Asian chicken salad. Server was friendly, but did not refill my water. I give three stars for health concerns with how they clean and set tables. The same bus boys cleaning dirty tables and removing dirty plates and settings, also set the tables with new plate settings with the same dirty gloves. The dirty dishes are also kept on the same dolly with new settings. Extremely Disgusting, and because of that, I will not eat here again. read more

So my friend came to this place late at night and it wasn't packed at all i'm talking completely empty and we were seated and waited 30 min to get served while the servers were just strolling around chilling folding some fucking towels and people started showing up and they were getting served before us then we had to cause some sort of commotion to catch there attention so they can serve us even though the place is empty it's just ridiculous. read more

Bummer to have to give one star because the food is good, however the service is TERRIBLE. Every time. It's almost like the waiters don't want to be there and your an inconvenience to them. We keep giving them chance after chance, yet each time we have an insanely long wait before anyone comes to get a drink order... then another long wait to get our order taken... then to get the food and each extra thing we might of asked for we have to ask for it multiple times. Never refills on drinks until they have been empty for a long time. Just terrible terrible service. Time to step it up! read more

I am giving this restaurant 3 stars for their service. Every time i come here the waitresses are dismissive and seem like they don't want to be there. I almost feel bad for asking them for any type of service. I would feel most comfortable getting up and going back to the kitchen to get it myself. Yes, to that degree is how uncomfortable they make me feel. The food on the other hand is amazing. Love it and can't beat the prices. read more

The food is good, not great. The servers have always been nice. They have a diverse food selection as well. I've had their ox-tail soup before. That was a life saver after a night of drinking. Check out their menu, to see all the different options. I gave it a 4 star because of the view in the indoor balcony seating. If it's open, ask for it! read more

In the heart of Barona you will find the Sage Cafe! You will not find a better "bang for you buck" menu at a cafe in San Diego county. The prices you pay for what you can get here is just unmatched. The portions are great and the quality ranges from good to amazing (shout out to their awesome french toast). Service here is hit and miss but is at the very least professional and polite. However, I would like to see high quality all around on the menu here. Some items are just fantastic whereas others seem to have nothing special added to them and are plain and/or almost bland. Overall, if you go to Barona, I would say the Sage Cafe is a slightly better choice than the buffet (you won't wait as long either). Definitely worth trying out! read more

Love the sage cafe the best food and employees love you wish the best keep doing what you do Barona is the best casino

We enjoyed our meal. Fried Calamari and Jalepeno Poppers were excellent. Great prices, too. Everything was fresh and well prepared. I tried the steak and eggs that was equally awesome. #HappyCampers! We will return. read more