If you were wondering if Reno/Sparks had a remote place that catered to the working class, wonder no more. This is it! The casino is clean and really funky. It's decorated with what look like leftovers from its rich sister, the Peppermill. The attached motel is, um, well, full of character.
Room Quality: Old motel low-rises are scattered around the casino. They're recently repainted and spruced up outside, and only a little messy and run-down on the inside. This place will serve in a pinch, but the rooms are charmless. Rooms are small, and the decor looks leftover from a bad 70s porn movie: dark carpet, black lacquer furniture and more velour than in your grandma's closet.
Service Quality: Fair to poor. Check-in is easy, but beyond that you are mostly on your own. The motel's location means that you are far away from any other casinos, dining or entertainment.
What You Get Bottles of in the Bathroom: Shampoo and lotion bottles await the discriminating traveler who wandered in here by accident.
Clientele: Rowdy locals, lots of older folks and travelers attracted by the cheap food and gambling. They have lots of security in the parking lot for good reason.
How's the Pool? There's a hot tub, and a big sort of ugly looking pond next door where you can windsurf or do other non-motorized water sports.
Table Games: Lots of cheap gambling with a mix of friendly and a few unfriendly dealers. The craps dealers consistently don't give a rat's ass. In general, these are fun games. There are always blackjack, craps and roulette for your losing pleasure.
Bet Minimums: Up to eight tables of $2-$3 minimum blackjack are dealt from single decks where you can double on anything and the dealer hits soft 17. One craps table is usually open with $1 minimum and double odds. Roulette is 25-cent minimum for those who like giving the house a 5.26% advantage.
Machines: They have a ton of machines, including all the latest games. They're mostly nickels with a few coinless penny machines and lots of quarters. There is full-pay video poker for the person who looks closely.
Cocktails? Snappy cocktail service. If a waitress comes faster than we can drink we simply can't complain. Seriously. Actually, we can't do much of anything when we're lying face first on the carpet.
Who Gets Comps? They are pretty generous in giving players meals in their restaurants. If you are betting $5 or more per hand for a couple hours, ask for some food. The worst they can do is say "Get out of here," and then make fun of you behind your back.
Marina Cafe: A coffee shop that is a deadringer for the decor of the Peppermill coffee shop. It serves up a big menu of animal and vegetable matter run through a deep fat fryer. There is almost no way to spend more than $15 for a complete meal, unless you order a couple of entrees. The nacho plate is about the size of a Yugo. Steakhouse: This is the fanciest place here, which means the guests actually tuck in their shirts. It's only open for dinner, and the early bird meals are a downright bargain. Many menu seafood and steak items are under $25. The bonus is the place looks just like the fancy steakhouse at the Peppermill. Vineyard: Americanized Italian and Mexican and Southern, very much in the chain-restaurant style. Meals are generally cheap. Expect lots of pasta. The menu also has burgers, lots of sandwiches, steaks and seafood. The serving sizes are generous and a good value, but the food is quite bland. Cafe Espresso offers a bunch of quickie meals like hot dog and pizza as well as coffee.
Number of TVs: Sixteen, all of them are decent-sized plazas, and they all show sports. Sorry race fans.
Number of Seats: About 50 mildly comfortable chairs. The real attraction is the nice TVs, so they don't bother making much fuss over the seats.
How Many Betting Windows? Three with electronic signboards behind them.
Snack Bar? No way, Jose.
Minimum Wager: $5 - sports only.
Other Notes: The "book" is just a small counter in the back of a recessed lounge on the casino floor. You can lay down your bet and then watch the game on the big TVs while you play the interspersed full-pay video poker on the bar-top. Hey, maybe you'll meet your soulmate if you hang around long enough.
|
