Price, Hours & Menu 2023 (2024)

Updated January 1st, 2023

The Serrano Buffet at the Yaamava’ Resort and casino is open and is busy as ever. Fortunately there is a new reservation system available (more on that below).

As one of the biggest casinos in the United States, and the closest casino to Los Angeles, the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino (previously called the San Manuel Casino) is one busy place, averaging over 22,000 visitors a day!

A good portion of the 8.3 million customers they see each year will stop by the casino’s popular Serrano Buffet.

Located on the lower level, next to Tutu’s Food Court, the buffet really isn’t that large, (both in terms of dishes and seating) – especially given the heavy demand. Big lines often formed from behind the red velvet ropes outside – particularly during busy weekend nights.

Serrano Buffet Reservations

As such, there is a new reservation system, and these are a must. You can book your seating from the Yaamava’ Casino itself here: Serrano Buffet Reservations

First off, using the Yaamava Casino’s players card will save you money. The player’s card is called “Club Serrano.” Membership is free of course, and you’ll want to show your card at the buffet to get some savings. (More on that below).

The prices below are before the Club Serrano Card discount. These are standard prices, and they can go up during holidays.

These prices are before tax and tip. Wednesday and Thursday nights are all-you-can-eat lobster night.

A new policy is that the buffet limits you to 90 minutes of eating.

Club Serrano Buffet Discounts

As mentioned above, anyone who just signs up for a Club Serrano Card, even without playing and acquiring points, saves at least 10% off of each buffet. However there are further discounts the higher your status.

Club Serrano has five main levels: Classic, Emerald, Amber, Diamond and Turquoise. Below are the additional savings off of the prices shown above.

In addition to the club card discounts, the Yaamava will often offer a buy one, get one free buffet offer for those who sign up for a new Club Serrano account. Besides the BOGO buffet, these sign up bonuses can also include $20 or more in free play, so definitely sign up for a card if you don’t have one already.

Holiday Pricing at Yaamava Buffet

Prices can shoot up on holidays and special events, when buffet wait times can get even longer. Prices will vary, but last New Year’s Eve dinner buffet (with T-bone steak, lobster, crab legs and birria tacos), cost $85 per person. The New Year’s Day 2023 dinner buffet was $64.95.

Serrano Buffet Menu Items

The re-opened buffet has over 100 different foods and desserts to sample to your heart’s content. These include the carving station, pizza, a made-to-order pasta station, the typical soup and salad bar, and chilled seafood.

The more expensive Wednesday and Thursday buffets have lobster, whereas Friday and Saturday night buffets include prime rib and crab legs.

Reviewers are giving good marks to the braised beef short ribs, the pre-made Rueben sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

Dinner

As you’ll see from the nightly pricing changes, some menu items rotate depending on the day.

Here are some menu items from a recent Lobster night visit. These are subject to change:

Rice pilaf, steamed broccoli, baked cod, seafood pasta, baked salmon, ratatouille, Italian green beans, 3 different pizzas, chicken fajitas, lime/cilantro rice, and tamales.

American section: fried chicken, mashed potatoes with regular gravy and turkey gravy, mac n’ cheese, fried shrimp.

Carving Station: Prime rib, roasted turkey, kielbasa, roasted peppers, grilled pork ribs.

Asian: Spicy Thai seafood salad, crab seaweed salad, egg rolls, sesame balls, salt & pepper shrimp, bok choy, yellow curry chicken, jasmine rice, a fish of the day, stir fry noodles, fried rice, dim sum.

The seafood area had crab legs, shrimp co*cktail, and mussels.

Of course there’s your standard salad bar, (I counted 12 topping choices and four different salad dressings), along with a small selection of pre-made salads.

Desserts

You’ll end the line with desserts on the far left side of the buffet (when facing it).

Here you’ll find donuts, individual plates of cakes and pies, like a delicious looking blueberry pie, along with chocolate cake, carrot cake, tarts, banana cream pie, cherry cobbler, cup cakes, cake pops and the like.

Your selection of 11 different hand-scooped ice creams and gelatos includes pineapple, pumpkin, chocolate, salted caramel, strawberry and vanilla. There are a few syrups and toppings to go along with it.

Other sweets to the left of the ice cream/gelato area include Jello, macaroons, cannolis and the like.

On the less sweet side, there is a small variety of “no sugar added” desserts offered.

Lobster Buffet

Serrano Buffet’s very popular all-you-can-eat lobster buffet is held on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

You can get one whole lobster and two tails at a time, however you can go back as many times as you wish.

Besides crab legs, the lobster is obviously the main draw here.

A tong-wielding buffet employee will serve you individual lobster tails, asking if you’d like them dipped in butter. There are even two types of butter: regular and spicy.

Drinks

Each buffet comes with unlimited soft drinks (Pepsi products), milk (including chocolate milk), tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and juices (orange, apple and cranberry).

There is wait service here, in other words, the drinks aren’t self-service, so be sure to remember to tip your waitperson.

Yaamava’ Breakfast

(Below is the pre-shutdown breakfast wording. We’ll update this section soon hopefully).

Here you’ll find your standard array of eggs and egg dishes, and a made-to-order omelet station. Meats include bacon, sausage, and a ham carving station.

There’s also waffles, (and chicken and waffles), pancakes, French Toast, and biscuits and gravy.

On the healthier side, you’ll see a selection of fresh fruits, (grapefruit, cantaloupe, melon, blueberries, etc.) and yogurt with choose-your-own-toppings bar.

Other

You must be 21 years or older to enter the Yaamava’ Casino, and that applies to dining at the Serrano Buffet as well.

(By Steve Beauregard. Photos courtesy of the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino)